The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-02-29
THE CONDITION OF TRADE
BRADSTREETs SUMS UP TINE STTUA-
1ION TRRoUGH0UT TIRE COUNTRY.

Jobbers at the Large western Cities DO
Not Anticipate Heavy Spring Trade
Live Stock is In Good Condition-Outlook
for the Spring Trade in tho Dominion is
Good.
New York, Feb. 2S.- Bradstreets to-
morrow will say: Chanseable and at
times unreasonable weather has con-
tinued to unfavorably influence the dis
trlbution of general merchandise. Rel
atively, the most active movement has
been of shoes, groceries, dry goods mil
linery and light hardware, but on the
whole the merchandise movement has
not materially improved, Jobbers at
larger western centers do not anticipate
q 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
ton mills report that trade drags, not
withstanding cut rates, and that the
cotton mill machinery. Demand for
wooden goods is slower and stacks in
hands of retailers are heavier than
when last reported. Steel rails, iron
pipe and nails are the f1rrnest in this
line. Sales of steel billets have been
infrequent and are off rs cents. Bes-
Isemer pig iron is quoted % cents lower,
with the market exceptionally slow.
Throughout the central western states
a large number of stacks are idle, which
may have an effect on the price of SUI
perior ores.
In addition to renewed activity in the
glass industry large orders for spring
delivery are being placed for boots and
shoes at the more important centers,
and manufacturers report trade active
and prospects encouraging. Leading
money markets are easier at the close,
but mercantile collections south, ana
particularly west have fallen off and
are unsatisfactory. Relatively unsat-
isfactory reports from western mer
chandise markets are the rule, but
Omaha reports an improvement in bus
mess, with Indian corn moving more
rapidly, and Duluth reports the pros
pect of a good, though late, spring
trade.
r,tA @1- 4. NAN 1kN
ranges are in fine condition, and at
Sioux Falls trade is heavier than it
was in February. 1895. Price move
ment of leading staples is more favor
able, with advances for what, Indian
corn, oats, copper, leather and turpen-
tine. Firm or steady prices are noted
for wheat flour, coffee, sugar, steel
rails, lumber, coal and hides, while re-
actions appear in quotations for pork
and lard, cotton and print cloths, petro-
leum, Bessemer pig iron, steel billets
and some grades of southern pig.
Bradstreets' annual estimate of the
total quantity of wheat in the United
States, back of available supply points
on March /, 1896, makes it 100000
bushels against probably 100, 100000
y
600 bushels back of available supply
points in the United States on March
l. 1894 An estimate that so-calied
farmers stocks of wheat at this time
are less than 100,000,0O0 bushels is in
contrast with trade and other esti-
mates which place the total anywhere
from 1O900o,00O bushels to 155,0OO,oO0.
There is a moderate Improvement in
trade in the provinces of Ontario, Que
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. At
Toronto jobbers report that improved
country roadways have resulted in in
creased orders. At Montreal the quiet
is broken by more activity in the dis
tribution of dry goods. At the city of
Quebec trade remains DUH in all lines
except with shoe manufacturers. At
Halifax traders report business I'M
satisfactory In New Brunswick while
numbering is satisfactory shipments are
small. The outlook for spring trade
there is good.
There are 81 failures reported from
the dominion this week against A last
year. Total bank clearings at Winni-
peg, Toronto, Hamilton Montreal and
Halifax amount to nearly $1S,000,000
CnlS Week, lllCueEdtt ucGliIiS lioiAl tiiS
week before, but about IA per cent. in
crease as compared with the corre-
spending total last year.
Bank clearings throughout the Unit
ed States for seven days ending Feb
ruary 81 aggregate 1914, 100000, favor
able exhibit Zone holiday although Is
per cent. smaller than the total last
week. as it is 20 per cent. larger than
the total for the fourth week of Feb
ruary, 1895, and per cent larger than
the corresponding week OF 1894
The business failures in the United
| States is Ell compared with 234 in the
corresponding week of 1895.
Exports of wheat, -four included as
wheat, from both coasts of the United
States this week show a marked falling
off, not only from the total a week ago,
| but as compared with totals for con-
Guiding weeks, in February in four pre-