The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-29
BUSINESS NOT MUCH BETTER.
RETAILERS TO CARRY OVER MORE
GOODS THAN EXPECTED.

THE Distribution of General Mer-
chandise UnfavorabIy Effected by
TnseasonabIe Weather-Business
Most Active in Boots c5d shoes,
Dry Goods and Light Hardware.
The Conditions Unsatisfactory In
Most of the Industries.
View York, Feb. 2S.-Bradstreet's to-
,,o-row will say: "Changeable. and at
,f-,es unreasonable weather. has cOntin-
mad TO unfavorably influence the distri-
b,rrion OF general merchandise. Relatively
me most active business is in boots and
shoes. dry goods and light hardware, but
~, the whole has net materially improved.
Tobbers at larger western centers do not
anticipate a heavy spring trade, as the
outlook is for retailers carrying over
larger stocks than expected.
Unsatisfactory conditions prevail in
the cotton goods. wooden, iron and steel
industries. Jobbers in products of cotton
mills repcrt that trade drags. notwith-
standing cut rates, and that the outlook
is that there VIII be more idle cotton mill
machinery. The demand for wooden goods
Is slower. and the stocks in the hands of
retailers are heavier than when last re-
po~ted. IN addition TO renewed activity
i'm the glass industry. large orders. spring
delivery, are being placed for boots and
shoes al the more important distributing
centers. and manufacturers report trade
active and prospects encouraging.
The leading money markets are easier
at the close. but mercantile collections
south. and particularly west. have fallen
of. and are unsatisfactory.
South. general trade is quiet and slow
i'm nearly all the lines, there being an eX-
ceution as to agricultural implements at
Memphis, dry goods at Atlanta and IN the
movement of staples at New Orleans.
Relatively unsa tisfactory reports from
western merchandise markets are the rule,
but Omaha reports an Improvement IN
business, with indian corn moving more
rapidly and Duluth the prospect OF
good, though late spring trade.
tine price movement of leading staples
is more favorable.
The falling off in the total number of
business failures throughout the United
States a week ago is continued, the total
being 271 compared with 2l6 last week, "a
in the corresponding week Of 1899. 272 in
the fourth week of February, 1884, III in
the like period in 1898. and 81 in 1892"
R. G. Dun & Co. will say tomorrow, in
their weekly review of trade THE fail
ures in three weeks of February show
liabilities of Sl0,SS9,936, against 8, 532, 4OS
last year. and S11420,41S in 1894. The
failures for the week have been 27S in the
United States, against 250 last year, ana
I'm some quarters business gains at the
west rather than at the east, but there
is no general change for the better,
though hopefulness still predomlnates
Foreign affairs grow more pacific, public
opinion turns more resolutely toward
sound money, but the want of sufficient
demand for the products of the great in
dustries still retards actual Improvement.
Strikes of some Importance in garment
making and kindred lines effect trade in
Chicago and Baltimore, but there are few
er labor difficulties than usual, as eX-
listing conditions warn Wage-earnerS that
controversies at this time are unwise.
THE speculative markets show little
life. The volume of business does not
improve. Exchanges through the primer
pal clearing houses show gain of l.9I
per cent over last year, but the month 5
comparison with 1898 is the only instruc-
tive one, and shows a decrease of O0f
for February.
1.-THE market for textile goods is dis
appointing. Material reductions in cot
tons have not brought out. the needed
demand and further decline in Lawrence
LII brown sheetings this week to AS
cents corresponds with the report that
mills of some Importance may prefer to
arrest production for time unless the
ceiving considerable orders for spring
goods, but business for the future
does not mend. Clay worStedS are again
a shade lower, the range for all woollens
is scarcely per cent higher than year
ago, although wool is more than. Z per
cent higher and a good many mills are
closing or reducing time
The feature in iron has been the large
demand for wrought and cast pipe. Large
orders for structural work are received at
Chicago, and are expected at the east.
as building plans are unusually large, but
sheets sell slowly and rails very little,
though bar is fairly active, with many
orders coming for cars. Iron quotations
average 2 per cent. lower for the week,
because of the drop in Bessemer at Pitts
burg to $3.50 and in grey forge to $1075.
The demand for boots and shoes gains
very little.
The exports of domestic products from
New YOrk for three weeks show a gain
of 16 per cent. over last year, while i'm
ports in the same time scarcely increase.
But export bills are diminishing rapidly
at this season, while large imports nat
urally come in succeeding months, and
many security bills have to be met in
the near future. 1t is, therefore, be-
lieved by many that gold exports are not
far off,