The age-herald., 1897-08-07
IRON AND STEEL LOOKING UPWARD Sta6natiOn in the Metals Gives Way to a
 General Inquiry. WEEKLY REVIEW OF TRADE By Dun and BradStFGet Shows Improve
 mOnt Along All Lines. REMARKABLE FAILURES DECREASE For the Month of July as Compared With the Same Month Four Years Ago-Bread-
 stuffs Active-M Merchandise
 Movement Good.
WEEKLY REVIEW OF TRADE
REMARKABLE FAILURES DECREASE


 New York, Aug. CIR. G. Dun & Co.'s weekly review of trade tomorrow will say: Four years ago. Aug 5, 1Ss3 the first edition of Dun's review was issusd with failures in that month amounting to over $60,00O0O0, while in the month just closed failures have been only $7177,17 the smallest in any month since 1892. The statement of failures by classes for July and for forty six months shows that these in manufacturing failures have been smaller than in any other month of the entire period; in trading smaller than in any other month except one, and in many branches of each department smaller than in most months of which records exists. The pessmists who pronounced reports of gain fictitious and msrepre- senting have grown weary of their dis mals. and begin to see the dawn of bet ter days. Last month was the first for four years in which the volume of busi- ness reported by clearing houses was larger than in the same month of 1892 and the telegraphic dispatches from all parts of the country given this week show a gratifying improvement. This is partly due to a large yield of wheat and good prices though the crop Is prob ably not as large nor are prices thus far as high as in 1892, but of cotton the price Is higher and the yield probably larger than in that year. Other farm products are realizing good prices and the possi- ble decrease in yield of corn may help to market the enormous surplus brought over from last year.
 Liquidation of a powerful combination in wheat brought a reaction of cents on Thursday, but a gain of 1h cents oc- cured the day following. It is the wrong year to expect much from indus tries and yet there has been material increase in the number of hands em- ployed- in the manufacture of iron be-, cause of the satisfactory adjustment of wage disputes with the Amalgamated association and the opening of numerous esta ablis hments which have been waiting While the coal miners strikes seem more likely to end in permanent settlement beneficial to both parties. Meanwhile. the demand for most of the finished pro- ducts is steadily increasing, the feature. being large contracts for the Russian oil field, Sumatra and Germany. s,
 While consumption does not yet equal the capacity of the works in operation. and prices of iron and steel products av- craze slightly lower, the situation is al- together more hopeful. m
 In the minor metals, the consumption of this equals the outcome and the visdbLs iral1x +l,.
 while the exports of copper have been heaVy and prevent a declina of Fake be- low llc., and realizing in lead has caused only a slight decline to 3.SOc
 The sales of wool, as comparative re-. turns by months show, bear little relation to the actual consumption in manufac- turS, but heavy liquidation since the new tariff was enacted gives thIs impression thar some dealers are no longer confident of speedy advance. Nevertheless priel:s have risen during the past few weeks nearly l cent per pound. Manufa oaurers arA buying but little, though they are rapidly incieasing the output, and are able 10 obtain an advance of abou. 10 per cent. in prices of the goods, with rapidly increasing orders. The temporary cur taiment of output by cotton mills con- tinues, but does not yet bring improved d prices for produc S, although the demand is generally gaining.
 Bradstreet's Review.
 Bradstreet's tomorrow will say: Gen. eral trade shows the most pronounced gains this week at Chicago, St. Louis and Galveston The feeling of confidence that general business is to improve in the early autumn is marked at shese cities, and purchases of dry goods, clothing shoes and other staples have increased h:aviIy. and aae followed by disposition to crowd prices up. Purchases were restricted at Kansas City, Omaha and some other northwestern points early in the week. owing 70 the extreme heat and fears of damage to the Indian corn crop, but rains and cooler weather have stimulated them ag'ain. On the Pacific coast businrss ss Is brisk, the feature in California being heavy wheat shipments to San Francisco, at Portland large expor.s of lumber and at Seattle and Tacoma active demand for supplies for Alaska and the northw, st territory, and for wheat, fruit and hops.
 The movement of general merchandise throughout .he country is unques.ionably larger than last week; cotton goods and woolsn industries are better off, and the stagnation in iron and steel has given way to general inquiry and increasing output.
 But more significant g-fll is the extra- ordinary expansion in bank clearances this week And last month. The upward tendency O. price5 during the past three weeks Is again a feature, wheat being higher and firmen for some varieties.
 Cotton yarns are stronger also as ares some grades of cotton at the west. Shoes are no higher, but leather and hides cost more than week ago as do wheat, not