The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-08-08
pUN's COMMERCIAL REVIEW,

Improvement In Business Conditions,
Though None In Business-An Early and
Large Foreign Demand for American
Products Promised by Foreign Adyices-
Slight Further Advance in Boots and
Shoes-Small Sales of Woods.
NEW YORK, Aug. 1.-R. G. Dun &
Co., in their weekly review of trade to-
day say:
Business conditions have clearly i'm
proved, though business has moi. 1t is
the torpid seaso and better pros
poets have little effect as yet. Gold
exports have been stopped and foreign
advices ere more promising as respects
an early and large demand for Amer
lean products. The operations of for
elgners in the stock market have re-
Elected little beyond the troubles of
spectators at the London settlements,
and varying degrees of ignorance about
American affairs. The prospect for
large crops of cotton and corn is still
excellent, and neither movements of
wheat nor markets give c%ountenance
to low estimates. Wheat is going out
with more freedom than is usual for
the season, and Atlantic exports have
been 1901, ITO bushels, flour included,
for the week, against 900, PAS last year,
and for four weeks, 6 1854, 200 bushels,
against 3.422, 321 last year.
Lower rail rates helped corn to make
a new low record at 80. l2 cents, and
prospects are generally favorable.
Cotton advanced a quarter on reports
of injury, but there are really few
who expect less than a large yield.
The wooden mills do not gain, light
weights opening 5 to IL per cent.
lower in price than last year, and
sales of wool now reported are less
than a quarter of a full weeks con-
sumption. Orders taken in light
weights have been very few and for
low-prlced goods.
The boot and shoe industry has Sc
cured slight further advances from the
lowest point in brogans and calf boots
and shoes; but new orders are scanty,
the more because the permanence of
the advance is questioned. Leather is
stubbornly held without change in
prices and some grades are really
scarce, although manufacturers are
buying only for actual needs; but
hides have turned downward sharply
at Chicago, declining five per cent. for
the week, with heavy accumulation.
The iron industry is helped but lit
tie by the settlement which gives pud-
dlers of the Ohio region soc. advance
in wages, because the demand is SO
light that few mills can run.
A ray of encouragement comes to
rail mills, two considerable sales hav-
ing been made, 10000 tons to a New
England road and 10000 by the new
Premier Steel Co. of indianapolis; but
otherwise sales are small.
Trade in wire nails has been so light
that ever the trifing allotment of 65,-
900 kegs for July is supposed to have
exceeded sales, and the association is
in SESSION at Boston TO consider the
matter.
The billet pool has been constantly
undersold by middlemen and open
hearth steel, and had a session yester-
day at which reduction of prices was
discussed. Many contracts for struc-
tural work are being held back, and
there is very little done in that line,
and orders for plates and pipe are
scarce.
1t is not surprising that failures have
been considerable in magnitude, and
in % days of July defaulted liabilities
were S12, O69, Ash against SIS, 1872, TT in
% days last year. Failures for the
week have been PSI in the United
States, against 26l last year, and 40 in
Canada. against % last year.