Daily public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1892-191?, 1896-04-04
TRADE REVIEW.
Four Thousand and Thirty-0ne
Failures for the Quarter.
Expected Improvement With Spring
Weather Begins in Some Branches.
Steel Concerns Propose to Restrict Produce
tion by Allotment-Woolen Manufac-
ture Does Not Gain In Orders--Prices
of Wool Falls 7 liz Per Cent.

New YORK, April Ar. G. Dun & Co.
will say Saturday:
The regular quarterly str tement of
failures shows 4,O31 with liabilities of
$57, 425, 1876, against $500 last year with
liabilities of $4S,S13,6S3.
The improvement expected with
spring weather begins, though in some
branches of business scarcely visible.
AS consumers make spring purchases
they must lessen stock and COMPEL less
buying. The stocks taken in advance
of consumers demands last summer
have been distributed far more slowly
than was expected, but months of this
waiting has helped to lessen the load
which it is hoped spring buying will
clear away.
Apprehensions of foreign or financial
difficulties have hindered, but are now
scarcely felt. Gold exports are rumored,
but at this season are so far natural
that they have no such power to cause
alarm as they had in winter The
gigantic steel combination is expected
to have a great influence in sustaining
markets and stimulating confidence,
and though such operations often miss
the success they seek, they rarely fail
to kindle speculative buying for a
time. The sudden advance of two dol
lars ton in billets a week ago has
raised Bessemer pigs 81 at Pittsburgh,
and the demands for structural forms
increase in expectation that prices will
rise. Nail associations have given no
tice of another advance of Is cents at
the end of this month. Bars have been
greatly demoralized but some makers
now hope to re-establish the combina-
ton, as steel bars will become dearer.
But No. foundry is slightly lower at
Philadelphia and the general demand
for finished products does not yet
improve. The steel concerns
propose to restrict production
by allotment, those producing more
than their share paying So per ton to
those who produce less. Orders for
lake copper are solicited at 1917 and
lead is weak at $40. Less encourage
ment appears in the horseshoe trade
The wooden manufacture does not gain
in orders and large part of the ma
chinery is stopped. Prices of wool
have fallen ~ per cent Cotton
mills still pile up goods in ad-
vance of orders, as reductions
in prices have failed as yet to
stimulate buying. Speculation in pro-
ducts has been slim. Cotton continues
to come forward so largely that former
predictions of $500, 900 bales are remem.
bered with derision and the outlook for
the next crop continues good. Wheat
has slightly advanced and if later re.
ports of injury from extensive frosts
and storms prove correct, will advance
more, though western receipts continue
nearly fifty per cent larger than last
year
Corn exports are large and receipts
also heavy, but pork has declined rs
cents per barrel
Speculation in stocks has not been
active, though railroads average nearly
one dollar per share higher than last
week, while transactions in trust
stocks have scarcely gained anything.
Railroad tonnage in March has been
shade larger than in 1898, but reported
earnings of railroads are 81 per cent.
larger than last year, but 10. 4 per cent.
smaller than in 1898