The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-11
WEEKLY TRADE REVIEW
NO GENERIL fNCRI I>F, But SOME
ENCOt RAGING FEITCKLS,
Cereals and Iron Products show an Inn
proveme nt-i,ailway Earnings Reflect
the March Luli In Traae.
NEW YORK. ApriI lO.-Bradstreet,s I

NEW YORK, April iO.-Bradstreet's to-
morrow wiz say.
WINE tnere IS no general Increase in
business, there are several cncOurasiA.,
features. rIrst, the advance IN prices Vi
nOur, wheat corn, cats, PORK, ana sugar,
together with that Tor strcl DIIets .uu
DvaIns anu other IRON anu steer products
including 80. foundry pig ana IOr Ia
pidte>. Ile advance ia wheat mas coll
unued - mucn longer than expected
tnat the TRACE are again discussing the
Likelihood OF this being thc beginning OF
the leading advance IOr cereais which
tney believe must come after the extreme
depression OF the past few years
Gross railway dlnlngs reflect the March
luii IN trade. Brighter ana more season
able weather East, ana needed rains In
VI tssourl, hallsus, ana Nebraska have
tended to stimulate the Deiated demand
Tor general merchandise. There are only
lew cues reporting moderate M
proyement IN general business. st. Louis
Kansas city, anu Omana are thus con-
splcuOus, Dut even there the gains are
slight. St Pau. Minneapolis. ana Sioux
T. ans report only fairy satisfactory sprns
business.
A. san Francisco business has not been
active, put IS better. Exports of general
merchandise from Seattle and lumber
from Tacoma continue 10 attract atteh-
t.-n.
On the other hand. wholesale merchants
more Buffalo. Detroit, ana Chicago report
business unsatisfactory, practcany with
out Improvement one Oh the most un-
IaVolauie features is the continued n
ability OF Interior merchants TO make rc-
nlttanCes promptly.
Demand Ior WOOL Is smaller-has almost
disappeared. stocks VI Territory WOODS
run up heavy ana a large proportion OF
them viii have to be carried over. Trade
IN the raw staple IS at stan4st-l. Dry
goods continue depressed, shlrtinss and
other cotton goods refusing TO move free
-, Notwithstanding cuts IN prices
Leather Is also lower. and large orders
Tor SHOES have been placed, because Of
lower quotations. The list OF notable
price reactions also includes those tor
wool and petroleum. while cotton, print
cloths. and coffee prices are SUBSTANTIALLY
unchause ed. business failures IN the
United states this week number ~,
compared with 80 last week, 10 I'm the
week year ago. I'll two years ago, and
with lyj In the INST week oil Apr., lN.I
Total bank clearings aggregate >g26. VoU
this week, thus continuing 70 reflect the
Stacking on ia business which has been
50 conspicuous.
NEW YORK. April 1O.-R. G. Dun &
Co. will say tomorrow I'm their Weekly
Review of Trade:
Failures for the past week have been
200 in the United States. against - last
year. and 80 IN CANADA, against - last
year
The volumes Of business has not on
the whole increased, nor have prices ap-
probably advanced since April LIST, when
the range for all commodities was the
lowest ever known I'm this country.
Breadstuns and iron products have risen
slightly, but some other articles have
declined, and the root of the matter is
that demand FOR consumption is stu be-
low expectations.
The billet pool and other combinations
have raised prices OF pig iron ana steel.
but as yet finished products have gained
scarcely anything. nor has demand for
them Increased. The output April LIST was
1881 tons weekly, against lS9.5s3 March
1st but reported stocks unsOld increased
-. lGS tons I'm March. or IL. l32 weekly,
and there is besides the unknown accu-
mutation of the great steel concerns.
Prices for lake ore are announced, as
expected 81 10 higher than last year.
and the coke combination makes 10 re-
duction. but gradually lessons the output.
While purchases Of pig to anticipate fu-
ture wants have been heavy, actual cora
sumption IS but moderate. Minor metals
are dull but lead weaker, at 3.OJ cents on
forced sales West.
Prices of boots and shoes do not
change, though leather is lower. Wool
is weaker, with sales for the week the
smallest fer many years. Prices tend
lower except for fine washed fleece, and
manufacturers are rapidly reducing pro-
ductiOn. Inere Is far demand I'm the
dress goods branch. but II Is estimated
that not 30 per cent Of the mems wear
machinery Is at work. There have also
been cotton mills stopping or reducing
time this week. Further reduction ~
shifting prints TO the lowest point ever
touched failed TO increase the demand
materially