The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-05-13
oUN's COMMERCIAL REPORT.
Some Surprising Figures for the Month Of
April Speculative business Is small
The Volume ri Legitimate Trade shows
n" Corresponding Decrease Crop Pros
poets = Little Better-Cotton. Wool and

No Corresponding Decrease- Crop Proc.
poets = Little Cotton. Wool and
Iron.
New York, Nav S,-R. G.. Dun &
Co.'S weekly review of trade to-day
says:
Nearly all will be astonished to learn
the actual sales in April by leading
houses IN each line of business in the
principal cities east of the Rocky
mountains average only about 10 per
cent. less than in April, 1892. the year
Of the largest business hitherto, and
were 81 per cent. more than in the
same month last year. Yet this is the
summary Of 357 reports, each cover
ing actual sales Of leading mer-
chants in a line OF business in each
OF Ia cities. They are especially en-
~couraging in view of the great fall of
prices within the five years and with
exceptional floods and other retarding
influences this year.
While speculative business in nearly
all lines is small and does not swell
clearinghouse returns as in previous
years, the volume of Legitimate trade
shows no corresponding decrease and
the fact Is one Of the highest import
ance in all business calculations.
Moreover, returns of failures for April
by branches of business, given only
by the mercantile agency, show
decrease in number. amount and aver
age Of liabilities in almost every branch
Of trade and in nearly all branches
OF manufacture except cotton. although
failures Of five New Bedford mills for
VI, $3.50, '3A make the total defaulted iia-
billties for the month 40 per cent.
larger than last year, 60 per cent.
larger than in 1895 and - per cent,
larger than 1894, The value of rcports
tracing failure to particular lines of
business is imprcssively illustrated.
Crop prospects are a little better for
cotton, because of the passing of
Hoods and the increase of acreage else
where, and for spring wheat because
the customary accounts of injury to
winter wheat begin to appear and slim
niate larger sowing of spring wheat as
usual. Western receipts continue larger
than last year, 2,34S. 605 bushels, against
9.20s, o72 and Atlantic exports also
increase, amounting to LAOS, 167 bush
els, lour included against 1,0i0. 1911 last
year. The weeks exports of corn, o.
I25, o43 bushels, are smaller than in
other recent weeks. The wheat mar
ket declined two cents until Tuesday.
and than rosa 1 ,nrtr .t
speculations, lifted cotton to 7.T5, but
1t has lost a sixteenth, and the con-
sumption in manufacture does not ap-
pear to be increasing.
The demand for cotton goods has not
met expectations and neither the pro-
longed eurtailment of production by
many mills, the large distribution of
goods since November, nor the great
auction sale has yet sutliced to reduce
the surplus of goods. Print cloths are
again lower at 2:44, the lowest point
reached in previous years, and
though some kinds Of goods have found
demand to advance prices "A |
the expectation of better prices |
larger occupation in future still
to push the mills to exceed pres
mt wants.
The same Is true of wool manufacture
in many branches, for orders and sales
thus far do not call for as large produc-
ton as appears, though it is vet
much below the maximum, but the in
crcasing demand has been encouraging.
of wool at prices firm but no
longer rising, fall much below recent
records, indicating that spectators
are growing less sure of early profits
view of enormous supplies ON hand.
At the three chief markets they were
,o25, 200 pounds, Of which 5,744. 500
were foreign and in five weeks the
sales have been 40, 137, so pounds.
against 2a,&2T, 100 in the same weeks
1892, when the mills were we'll en-
The anticipation of better prices and
great increase in demand pushed pro-
iuction so far in iron and steel manu-
that four furnaces in eastern
pennsylvania and others in the Pitts
)urgh region and Ohio have stopped.
'essemer pig at Pittsburgh has de,
to $40 and gray forge to S. 40:
pressure to sell billets lowers them to
IA, tank steel plates have sold be-
one cent, per centand common bars
1t 30 cents per 100 pounds
With black sheets in light demand
It S1.s0 for No. u. Yet the structure
works. are well employed on old orders
With Others coming in of 20. 900 tons
or the Montreal bridge and others at
he east and at Chicago. The rail
works. are all busy on orders taken
ago though there are efforts to
evive the pool. One contract for 49,
100 tons steel plates is reported, and
ono of the tin plate works are sold
head for the year.
The visible supply of tin ha $ in
reased 5000 tons in April, and the
rice is a shade lower at $l3.25. The
Ieavy sales of lake copper are believed
o cover some large consumers for most
# the year.
Failures for the week have been aal
n the United States, against a3s last
ear. and SO in Canada, against "A last
ear.
May he Next Governor of Alaska.
PoRT TowSsEyp Wash Nav Q F.,