Omaha daily bee., 1896-05-23
ORDERS ARE STILL DELAYED
Apparent stagnation in Trade is Merely
Postronement Of Activity.
DUN & co. GIVE HOPES FOR THE FUTURE
Thousands OF Contracts Reported to
he Deferred Day UntiI More
Convenient Dny-piS Iron
IT'S u Bnromctcr.

NEW YORK, May Pr G. Dun & cos
weekly review of trade, which issues to-
morrow, will say: The waiting condition,
which seems to some people nothing better
than stagnatiOn, still continues But this IL
different from stagnation. Thousands OF
orders and contracts are merely deferred
bee ause they can be more safely given
little later
There is nothing exciting in the specula-
tive market for exportable products, aud
the stories about damage to wheat have
been numerous, but the genera, belief
regarding the future supply is fairly
reflected in the decline of 1.62 cents
per bushel. The western receipts
continue larger for three weeks s. ,G2j bushels
against 1852 5S7 bushels last year. while Atlantic
exports flour included. have been only 3,l3S,SG)
bushels for the same weeks, against 4IH,6ii
The home market fails entirely to respond
to short crop storcs fOr II Is known that west
ern reports Indicate n crop exceeding last year $.
Cotton speculation lifted tne price a fraction
such movements are always easy at this sea
SON when stocks he easily controlled. The
European and American mill supplies with com
merciai stocks. still exceed maximum consump-
ton for tae crop year and promise for the
II the output of pig iron were always n re
liable barometer Of business conditions, some
l. according to the Iron Age, 1SS 5l9 tons. against
lS7i5l April ], would be convincing. But the
Increase of stocks unscld since January l has
been 2iS.95 tons, and this, deducted from the
output of furnaces. leaves 2OI6,3l3 tons for four
months, whiCl Is certainly in of the
actual consumption, because the stocks OF the
great steel companies are not included in the
statement. Since the steel billet p2ul formed
these stocks have doubtless increased largely
There Is scarcely any improvement in the de-
mand for finished products, though the bar asso
citation has become strong enough to enable
makers of steel bars to get slightly higher
prices The demand for nails is ligit that
reduction Of prices Is expected; the demand for
structural work is less urgent but yet orders
are encouraging in number although
tracts are scarce at Pittsburg, and the ablcst
observers of the iron market notice that there
is a Elarng incongruity between pig at $12.5)
blcts at $2l.2j. and steel rails at SIS.
The textile manufacturers are stll waiting, as
they have been for months past and the ex-
tensive curtailment Of production does not
ton mills have discontinued production this
week. but the only change in representative quo
tations is a nc decline in brown sheetings
The market for woolens is exceedingly dull
Notwithstanding the stoppage of many mills and
while worsteds and clay mixtures both a
shade lower. there is nothing like confidence
tivity as yet in any branch of the manufa cturc
Sales Of wool have been 2,GiS, 300 pounds for the
week at the three chief markets. and for the
three weeks ended May 81, 9,lS7, 400 pounds. of
which i,SS2.aD pounds domestic, against
b,9iS, ,35O pounds in the weeks of 1892 OF
which S.GOl,I0O pounds domestic
Failures for the week have been 227 in the
United States. against 2J7 last year and Is in
Canada, against % last year.