The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-30
BUSINESS STILL A BIT BLUE.
TRADING NOW on 4 BETWEEN
SEASONS BASIS.

Hides, Leather and shoes in Better
Demand and the Tendency Of
Prices Upward-Four cities Also
Report an Improvement in the
Demand for Dry Goods and Hats.
New York, May 2s.-Bradstreets to-
morrow will say: The improvement in
the trade situation is confined TO the de-
mand for hides. leather and shoes. the
tendency OF the prices Of the same TO
advance. and an Improvement in the re-
quest for dry goods hats and shoes from
wholesalers at St Paul Kansas City. ON
aha ana Baltimore.
The crop outlook in South Carolina
and Kentucky is brighter because Of
rains. and a generally better feeling ex-
lists among sugar producers and handlers
in Louisiana and Texas because Of the
recent sugar bounty decision.
General business continues quiet and
at the larger financial centers less COM
mercial paper is making, even at lower
rates. A between-seasons trade has be-
gun to assert itself, and from a number
of points mercantile collections are less
satisfactory, in some instance more diff
cult.
In Texas both the corn and cotton
crops are retarded for want of rain.
AT St. Louis and throughout the con-
tiguous territory. and at smaller business
centers along the track OF the recent
storm, business has been interrupted.
'The industrial situation, except as TO
boots and shoes, is unimprOved Cottons
are duh and low on Oyer-supply, the
price Of raw having no influence. Wool
prices continue to favor the buyers, with
manufacturers running at reduced ca
pig iron prices are about the same
as week ago, but speculative sales have
been made at cuts" Stocks are heavy
and production is decreasing. There Is
less demand for billets and the outlook
in iron and steel is not for improvement
prior TO the middle of July.
The total number OF business failures
in the United States during the week Is
227. as compared to 2l6 last week, and 200
in the week one year ago.
The price of products is again down
ward, wheat, corn, oats, as well as pork
and lard exhibiting unexpected shrink
ages. coffee and petroleum are likewise
by middlemen have been made shade
under nominal figures Wheat flour, coal
and print cloths are practically un,
leather are firm a the recent advances,
and the tendency is upward.
New York. May 29.-R. G. Dun & Co.
tomorrow will say in their weekly review
of trade: The failures for the week have
been 239 in the United States, against 2l5
last year, and 20 in Canada against Slo
last year.
niZed as natural results of the borrowing
and importing early in the year, but cause
no serious apprehension. The markets LOT
products are weak and rather stagnant.
| The business done is small, but largely
governed by TIE belief in large crops and
insufficient demand.
Many cotton mills have stopped and
many more have reduced hours or looms,
and yet the market for goods IS llteless,
a reduction OF indigo blue prints p a cent
to 4 cents, the lowest on record, DelnS Lhe
chief feature. Wool sales exclusive OF a
few speculative transactions based on eX-
treme low prices, are less than 40 per cent.
of a weeks fair consumption.
Boot and shoe shipments, per cent
| larger than last year, then the largest on
| record. indicate that in some branches
makers are catching up with their orders
| and many are discharging cutters. Hel
| many others have orders for months
| ahead and sales still run large Tor the sea
| SON and manufacturers quite generally in
/ sist upon a slight advance in prices, which
| buyers do not yet pay
''The iron and steel markets are weak
| with lower prices because the demand
! for finished products is entirely made
| quate. though prices Of these are higher
| Pig iron has fallen over per cent since
| April /, but the average of finished prod
| ucts has been advanced per cent. Lower
! quotations for Bessemer and GreyfOrge
| and local coke at Chicago, with stop
| page of tWo-thirds of the furnaces IN
| Virginia, some in Pennsylvania and 9TH
/ ers in the Mahoning and Chenango val
| leys. result from inability of manufac-
! turers to sell at prices which their com
! binations demand, Bessemer billets being
| undersold by open hearth, bars by steel
| bars and nails by new irons, which are
rapidly putting in machines. Plates weak
| en- and there is no change in sheets OF
| rods, but beam makers have raised the
| price 81 per ton, making a slight advance
| in the average Of all prices for the week
| 1t is possible that the rebuilding after
the disaster at St. Louis NAV affect The
| iron and steel markets extensively"