The Monticellonian., 1895-04-19
DUN'S COMMERCIAL REVIEW

l Prices of Commodities Average a Shade | Higher.
 NEW YORK, April 1S.-R. c. Dun X Co. s weekly review of trade, issued to- day, says;
 Progress toward better business con tinues, but it is slow and meets many obstacles. In speculative as in whole sale demand for goods show improve ment. Money markets are undis- turbed, with little more demand Among the chief obstacles is the anxiety of operatives to secure better wages, even while many works are running without profit and others at | the risk of loss. In number of establishments better wages have been conceded, thus increasing the purchas- ing power of the people; but strikes have largely overhalanced settlements, several of importance having thrown about l2,OOO workers out of employ ment this week.
 For the first time in a long period, prices of commodities average a shade | higher than year ago, and in Great Britain also, owing to different causes, a slight advance occurred in | March. On both sides of the ocean the lowest level ever known may natur- ally be followed by some rise Cotton is on both sides moro buoyant than anything else except meats and pe- troleum here, crude oil having risen to Sl. so, the highest price for over seven | teen years.
 Nothing supports the advance of an eighth in cotton the past week except the impression that the next crop will be short, for receipts are large, and about 150,0 GOO bales more than the larg- est crop ever grown have already come into sight this year.
 Wheat has yielded nearly cent. although Atlantic exports for two weeks have been 3,7OG, ,643, bushels, four included, against 3,599, 6ss last year, with western receipts of only 2,5S8, 467, against 4, 223, 434 last year.
 Receipts of corn are about half and exports about onefourth of last years. Decrease in receipts of cattle are ex- aggerated, 659, 406 having arrived at Chicago, against 7s9, 543 to date last year, and the prevalent opinion is that western packers are helping nature to some extent.
 Domestic trade, shown by payments through clearinghouse, is 7.s per cent. larger than last year, but 20 2 per cent. smaller than in 1893. About this time few years ago retail busi- hess began to drop off and mills to close, but half the difference in the volume of business is due to the fall in prices. Railroad earnings for the first week of April show an increase of less than per cent. over last year, and re- turns covering S35, 116, 527 within the United States, for March, were 12.1 per cent. less than in 1893, while our returns covering S49 961, ,505 for Febru- ary are 131 per cent. less than in 1893.
 Tonnage from Chicago the first week of April was 3l ,36l smaller than last year, but a slight increase is seen at other points The last week for ex- ports was especially good, showing an increase of IS per cent, but March re- turns for the principal products show decrease of S5,253, 4s1, or 11.5 per cent, against an increase of 10 per cent in imports at New York.
 The output of pig iron April was lbs, 132 tons weekly, practically the same as March l, with a decrease of l,0s0 tons in unsold stocks during the month. Doubtless heavy stocks were taken up by manufacturers in antici- patton of a strike in coke works, but the apparent consumption is larger than at any other time for some months, and only a sixth less than March, 1892. Bessemer iron has ad- yanced little further, to Sl095 at Pittsburgh, but there is no change which varies the prices of finished goods; and while the demand con tinues good for structural forms and little better for bar, the marked de- crease in demand for wire, owing to the scant purchases of farmers for fencing, affects tho outlook. 1t seems proba that pig iron must reeede un- less Il larger demand for finished prod ucts is soon developed.
 The shoe manufacture continues to lead all industries with shipments of over 20 per cent. larger in number of cases than year ago, though not in value, while orders have been more liberal at advanced prices
 Sales of wool are particularly inter esting, amounting, for the week, to 6,030, 200 pounds. and for five weeks previous, to 25, ,621, 200, against 25,277,- 676 in the same weeks of 1892 In brief, sales are close to the quantity re- quired for full consumption, and the long delay in placing orders and the lateness of the season makes propor- tion of mills Ut work larger than usual.
 Stocks show scarcely any change for the week, though the report of the Burlington and the failure of the coal companies to agree were unfavorable.
 The business, even with little buy ing by London, is tame and narrow. Money is easier, and supplies are again coming from the interior, while foreign exchange has been at exporting point. More commercial paper is now offer ing, principally dry goods, though the amount is not large
 Failures for the first four days of April showed liabilities of 1,1ss, 523, of which S445, $40 were of manufactur- ing, and S742, 6S3 trading concerns.
 Failures for the week were POT in the United States, against 21s last year; and 27 in Canada, against 34 last year.