The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-04-25
MONEY LITTLE EASIER
Agitation Of the Financial Question Soon TO
Be Settled is Patiently Awaited.
COMMODITIES LOWER THAN EVER BEFORE
The Feeling More Hopeful. Caused by
Slight Revival I'm Retail Tra,ie-
But New Orders Are Not Coming I'm
Freely Favorable Reports From
Commercial Travellers Coming In.

New York, April 24.-R. G.. Dun & Co.
VIII say tomorrow in their review of
trade:
Failures of the week have been 2Ss
In the United States, against 80 last
year. and A in Canada. against 81 last
year.
business has been favored by season.
nple weather. and the distribution OF
product has made fair progress. not yet
reducing retail or wholesale stocks far
enough. however. To materially improve
the position of industries. Money mar
kets nave grown more favorable as
wen as the state of foreign commerce.
ana until an apparently groundlcss re-
vlval OF discussion about the Venezuela
difiiculty there We're brighter prospects
OF european investments here The be-
het that the agitation for cheap money
VIII be permanently laid at rest this
year ls gaining ground, and in financial
quarters causes more confidence for the
tuture. Prices Of commodities are on
the whole lower than ever before. hav-
ing declined per cent. since April
ana II per cent since July. 1890, or Oc-
tober. 1892. The fall in manufactures
products is little less than 1t was on
April !, but in farm products is greater
cotton goods were bought less freel,.
last week, and the Northern mills have
taken scarcely any cotton this month.
fhc feeling Is more hopeful because the
retail trade Is better. The situation in
woolen goods does not improve
The large orders taken for boots and
shoes when prices were reduced TO last
years lowest point. more than a month
ago. resulted In shipments nearly equal
to last years; in April thus far per
cent. less. But new orders are now com
ing In freely. except for immediate de-
livery, TO I'LL out broken stocks Leather
10
ABOUT per cent. lower for the week.
Neither pig iron nor manufactured
products have improved i'm demand as
Yet. though combinations have raised
prices of rods and bar iron, while steel
bars sell at 1.l5 and nails are to be IL
cents higher after May l. brokers at
Pittsburg are still selling steel bilicts
90 cents below the pool price. though
now formed more than three weeks ago,
and bessemer pig has declined there 10
Sl3. with gray forge stronger. StruC-
tural angles are shade lower.
Bradstreefs Version
The feeling is more hopeful at many
trade centres owing TO the continued inn
provement of demand in retail lines
better weather, generally favorable crop
prospects and the activity which natu-
rally follows renewed building opera
tons; distributions of indictments and
iaim supplies and attendant activity.
More favorable reports from CONNER
cial travellers are from those represent
Ing Pittsburg, st. Lous. Kansas City.
Omaha and Milwaukee houses. Mode
rate Improvement is shown a: a few
other Western centres. but almost all
of tho larger distributing I.oin.s through
out the country. the movement of mer-
chandise on the whole. shows no mate
rial change.
While seeding is progressing rapidly in
the Northwest, country trade there Is
unfavorable. Lack of rain in Florida is
the cause OF scarcity of early vegetables,
and at almost all cities mercantile col
lections continue slow
In industrial lines the only marked
change for the better is in the manufac-
ture of shoes. orders for which have
been placed In excess of proceedings
weeks. Transactions in wool have in
creased moderately. but supplies con-
time heavy and prices. while nominally
unchanged. are weak. Prices for cot
ton goods are depressed BY over produc-
ton, not even the higher quotation for
raw n:,eteriai having an influence. under
these circumstances Demand for iron
and steel OF staple varieties remains al
most at a standstill. Cuts in quotations
for Bessemer pig and steel biilets are