The evening bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1887-1905, 1896-05-23
A REVIEW OF TRADE
r. G. Dun G. Company's Bust
ness Report.
STAGNATION STILL CONTINUES.

Thousands of Orders and Contracts Are
Merely Deferred Because They Can BE
More Safely Given Little Later-Noth-
ing Exciting in the Speculative Market.
Failures Reported During the Week.
NEW YORK, May 23.-R. G. Dun &
Company's weekly review Of trade says:
The waiting condition, which seems to
some people nothing better than stagna-
ton, still continues. But there is a diff
ference. Thousands of orders and con-
tracts are merely deferred because they
can be more safely given little later.
There is nothing exciting i'll the spec
ulative market for exportable products,
and the stories about damage TO wheat
have been numerous, but the general
belief regarding the future supply is
fairly reflected IN the decline of 1872
cents per bushel. The western receipts
continue larger, for three weeks 5,Slo,-
625 bushels, against 1852, 537 last year,
while Atlantic exports, flour included,
have been only 3,l9S,S03 bushels for the
same week, against 4,749.G74 last year.
The home market fails entirely TO re-
spond to short crop stories, for it is
known that western reports indicate a
crop exceeding last years. Cotton spec
ulation lifted the price Il fraction for u
day or two, but it declined again, and
such movements are always easy at this
season, when stocks can be easily con-
trolled. The European and American
mill supplies, with commercial stocks,
still exceed maximum consumption for
the crop year, and the promise for the
coming crop Is decidedly good.
If the output of pig iron were always
a reliable barometer of business condl-
tions, as some suppose, the returns of
furnaces in blast May /, according TO
The Iron Age. lSS,3l9 tons against 49,
45l April |, would be convincing. But
the increase of stocks unsold since Jan.
l has been 243 ,9l5 tons, and this, de-
Quoted from the output of furnaces
leaves z, 016.34S tons for four months,
which is certainly in excess Of the ac-
| tual consumntion, because the stocks
| of the great steel companies are not in
| cluded in the statement. Since the
| steel billet pool was formed these stocks
| have doubtless increased largely. There
| is scarcely any improvement in the de-
mand for finished products, though the
| Bar association has become strong
enough to enable the makers of steel
bars to get q slightly higher price. The
| demand for nail is so light that re-
| duction of price is expected; the de-
| mand for structural works is less urgent
| but yet orders are encouraging i'll num-
| Der, although new contracts are at
| Pittsburg, and the ablest observers of
| the iron market notice that there Is
| glaring incongruity between pig at
$3.50, billets at $20.25, and steel rails
at S2S.
| The textile manufactures are still
| waiting, as they have been for months
| past, and the extensive curtailment OF
| production does not strengthen prices III
| the least Some large cotton mills have
| discontinued production this week, but
the only change i'll representative quota
tons is an eighth decline III brown
sheetings. The market for wOolens is
exceedingly dull, Notwithstanding the
stoppage of many mills, and while wor-
steds and Clay mixtures are both shade
lower, there is nothing like confidence
or activity as yet i'll any branch OF
the manufacture. Sales of wool hav"
been 2,64S, 200 pounds for the week at
| three chief markets. and for three weeks
ending May 81, 9,1S7, 400 pounds, OF
| which 1852 POO We're domestic, against
| 10, 94S, $50 in the same weeks Of 1877, OF
which S,6O1, 200 were domestic.
| Failures for the week have been 22S
in the United States, against 2O7 last
year, and rs i'll Canada, against % last
| wear,