The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-25
BUSINESS OUTLOOK BRIGHTER
sEAsONABLE WEATHER AIDS THE
DISTRIBUTION OF PRODUCTS.

The Reduction in Retail and Whole
ale stocks Not Sufficient Yet,
However, 40 Aid the Industries.
The Money Markets and the State
of Foreign Commerce More Fa-
vorabIe.
New York. April PAR. c. Dun & Co.
Mill say tomorrow in their weekly review
of trade: The failures for the week have
been 23S in the United States. against go
last wear, and "A in Canada, against 81 last
year
Business has been favored by season
able weather, and the distribution of pro-
duets has made fair progress. not yet re-
ducing retail or wholesale stocks far
enough however. to materially improve
the position of industries.
The money markets have grown more
favorable, well as the state OF foreign
commerce, and until an apparently
erouudless revival of discussion about the
Venezuela difficulty there was brighter
prospects OF European investments mere.
The belief that agitation for cheap money
will be permanently laid at rest this year,
is gaining ground, and in financial quar-
ters causes more confidence for the fu-
prices of commodities are on the whole
lower than ever before, having declined ?
per cent. since April l and u per cent.
since July $780, or October, 1882. The fail
in manufactured products is a little less
than it was on April l, but in farm
Cotton goods were bought less freely
last week, and northern mills have taken
scarcely any cotton this month. The feel
ing is more hopeful because retail trade is
better The situation in wooden goods does
nor improve.
The large orders taken for boots and
shoes when prices were reduced TO last
wears lowest, more than a month ago,
result in shipments nearly equal 10 last
years, IN April thus far per cent. less.
but new orders are not now coming freely
EXCEPT for immediate delivery TO NIL out
broken stocks. Leather is weaker, with
heavy sales, averaging about per cent.
lower for the week, although hides at
Chicago are shade stronger.
Neither pig iron or manufactured prod
ucts have improved in demand as yet,
though further combinations have raised
prices of rods and bar iron to $1.20. while
steel bars sell al $l.15 and nails are 10
be Is cents higher after May l. Brokers
at Pittsburg are still selling steel billets
o. cents below the pool price, though it
was formed more than three weeks ago,
ana Bessemer, pig has declined there 70
Sl3. with grey forge stronger. Struc-
tural articles are a shade lower though
some good contracts are expected.
Bradstreets tomorrow will say: THE
feeling is more hopeful at many trade
eenters owing 10 the continued demand
in retail lines, better weather generally
favorable crop PROJECTS and the activity
which naturally follows renewed build
ing operations; distribution of Implements
ana farm supplies, and attendant activ-
ity.
More favorable reports from CONNER
cial travellers are from those represent
ing Pittsburg, ST. Louis, Kansas City,
Omaha and Milwaukee houses. Moderate
improvement is shown at a few other
western centers, but at most of the larger
distributing points throughout the coun-
try the movement OF merchandise on the
whole shows no material change.
while seeding is progressing rapidly
IN the northwest, country trade there is
unfavorable.
Lack of rain in Florida is the cause
of a scarcity of early vegetables, and at
almost all cities mercantile collections
continue slow.
"In Industrial lines the only marked
change for the better is in the manu-
1acture of shoes, orders for which have
been placed in excess of preceding weeks
Transactions in wool have increased
moderately, but supplies continue heavy
and prices, while nominally unchanged,
are weak.
Prices for cotton goods are depress-
ed by oVerproduction, not even the high
er quotation for raw material having an
influence under these circumstances.
The demand for iron and steel of
staple varieties remains almost AZ
standstill consumers having stocked up
prior to the recent advance. Railroad and
structural material and bar and plate
are relatively in the best request, most
other lines remaining fiat. Cuts in quota
tons for Bessemer pig and steel billets
are the result of transactions by mid
dlemen. A the south a number of fur
faces have contracted their outputs sew
eral months ahead, and practically ad-
vaneed the price of certain grades of pig.
THE tendency of prices is the reverse
of that for several preceding weeks, with
a large number of decreases. In addi-
ton to those mentioned, wheat, flour, In
dian corn, oats, sugar, leather petroleum
and lard are lower, while WOOL lumber,
coal, pork and print cloths remain nom
inally unchanged. Cotton and tin plates
have advapced, the latter due to COM
bination of makers
There were $40 business failures re-
ported throughout the United States this
week, compared with 244 last week and
225 in the corresponding week last year"