Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-07-17
WEEKLY TREND OF TRADE
Marked Difference in the Tone
of the Reviews
OF DUN AND BRADSTREET
One Is Very Hopeful, the Other lust as Des-
pondent-Season Considered, Things
Are Holding Their Own.

weekly review of trade tomorrow W II say:
Excepting the great miners coal strike,
winch may terminate at any time, there
Is scarcely feature of the business out
look which is not encouraging, the sea-
son considered. Our prospects have been
improved by needed rain in some regions
and foreign advices continue to promise
a large demand
In many home industries particularly
in building, there is more activity than
in amy year since 1892, and the week has
brought better demand in boots and
shoes and in woolens, while the move
ment of freight, mainly iron ore through
the Saut Ste Marie canal, is the largest
in its history. With money markets in
cluded there is nothing in sight to hinder
rapid Improvement when uncertainty
about exchange has been removed, for
the miners strike could not last long If
business and industries should become
active. There is much less apprehension
or failure of fuel supply than there
was during the first few days when prices
rapidly advanced. Large quantities of
coal from West Virginia have reached
northern markets, but some of the miners
in that state have struck.
The advance in wheat to S1bc was not
due to the government estimate, which
was followed by decline, but to foreign
advicss and considerable buying for ex-
ports.
Demand is also felt from Australia.
South Africa, Brazil and even Argentina,
while the promise for European crops is
not considered bright. The disposition of
farmers to keep back wheat for higher
prices may effect the outward movement,
but Atlantic exports during July, flour in
e1uded, have been 3,115,443 bushels
against 2,953,S17 last year, although in the
same weeks 4,659315 bushels of corn went
out, against 1,571,O72 last year. Wheat
closed cents higher for the week. and
corn 11c higher.
Cotton is 1-16c. higher, the closing or
partial sItoppage of important New Eng
lara mills hardly neutralizing, in market
estimation, the expressions of injury from
drought.
The ccItton goods market does not yet
reduce large accumulated stocks. as the
curtailment of production shows. but is
growing a little more healthy without
fchange in prices Woolens for the com
ing season have not been generally
shown. though on some low priced goods
advances of TX per cent. are asked, and
presumably will be asked on better
grades.
There is rather more business in re-
orders and the tone is more confident
Speculation in the wool market continues
with prices at all points stronger, ait Bos-
ton advancing, with signs of a boom
among 'lhe dealers, in which manufactur-
ers are taking little part, at curren prices,
9and al, the west, where holders are look
ing for a great advance
Imports at Boston Were 28 S62 bales in
two weeks, and dealers are said to have
bought 100000 bales more in London.
Sales were 10,452, 300 pounds at the three
markets for The week, and 24572 800 in
two weeks, of which 12,607, 200 were do
mestic.
The output off iron furnaces July was
,064 tons weekly, against 16S,3S0 June
l, but several furnaces have gone into
blast since July 1, and the output is large
for Jhe season. Presumably an unprece-
dented share of it is 10 supply the great
steel companies, which are even now put
ting more furnaces into blast, and have
heavy orders taken when prices were
dropped while the demand for structural
shapes and plates is large and for bars
improving though s.eel bars are now ait
the lowest quotation ever known in
Pittsburg, S71Ac. to 90c., with Bessemer
pig quoted slightly lower.
Tin plates are also lower at 1910 for
s full weight, and less than SO is paid for
100-pound boxes.
Failures for the week have been 263 in
lthe United States, againsi. 269 last year,
ard 27 in Canada, against 80 last year.
BRADSTRBET'S REVIEW.
New York, July 16.-Bradstreet's to-
morrow will say:
: THE dullest morith i'm the industrial year
is duller than usual, Notwithstanding i'm
provenert among po.ters and oilers.
This is due ilo a reaction in iron and steel,
prices Of which are back to the lowest
points on record; a dragging demand for
boots and shoes ard a threatened famine
of bituminous coal. There are more coal
miners out than at this slime last week,
and nd-withstan nding assertions that ar
bitration will end the strike in the near
future, some of the large operators in the
Pfttsburg district declare there is moth
ing to operate. Manufad. urers of cotton
goods and their agents report trade slow,
owing to higher cos for cotton and low
prices for goods. This has cut down
number of cotton mills in Massachu-
setts.
A fair and steady business is reported
by manufacturers of Shoes but this trade
at Philadelphia is dull, merchants hesi-
tating to place orders. Jobbers in cloth
ing report distribution as steady. If The
coal strike lasts andther week, thousands
of factory wheels will stop turning This
checks The firm feeling in Industrial cir
cles, which was SO pronounced a fort
night ago.
THE heavy loss of sheep in Australia,
due to drought and speculation in wool
here on tariff prospects have made wool
prices higher, with large sales. about g.
000, 600 pounds at Boston alone, compared
with 7Oo,o pounds in the like week of last
year = a-.,
The worldfs available supply of wheat
Is probably the smallest at a Ike period in
many years. Europe Is expected to have
to import 10O000,000 more bushels than