The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-08
BETTER APRIL TRADE
INCREASE OF 81 PER CENT. OVER
LAST YEARS BUSINESS.
Manufacturers Piling Up Goods Ex-
pecting Rise i'm Prices--Dun AZ Co.'s
and Bradstreet's Reports.

weekly review OIL trade tomorrow VIII say:
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 sum-
mary of S57 reports, each covering actual
sales of leading merchants in a line of
business in one of fourteen cities. They
are especially encouraging in view of the
great fall of prices within the five years
and with exceptional floods and other
tarding influences this year. While specu-
latiVe business in nearly all lines is small
and does not swell clearing house returns
as in previous years, the volume of legit-
mate trade shows no corresponding de-
crease and the fact is one of the highest
Importance in all business calculations.
Moreover, returns of failures for April by
branches of business, given only by the
mercantile agency, show decrease in num-
ber amount and average of liabilities in
almost every branch of trade and in nearly
all the branches of manufacture except cot
ton, although failures of five New Bedford
mills for 1880, 734 make the total defaulted
liabilities for the month 40 per cent larger
than last year, 60 per cent. larger than in
1895 and 80 per cent, larger than in 1894
The wheat market declined &c until
Tuesday and then rose 112c. Liverpool
SpeculationS lifted cotton TO 115c, but II
has lost a sixteenth and the consumption
in manufacture does not appear to be in
creasing. The demand for cotton goods has
not met expectations. Print cloths are
again lower at 2.44c, the lowest point ever
reached in previous years. In wool manu-
facture orders and sales thus far do not
call for as large production appears.
LOT ~ a nriRaS longer
rising, fall much below recent records, IN
dicating that spectators are growing less
supplies on hand. AT the three chief
markets they were S,025,2 200 pounds of which
5744,600 were foreign, and in five weeks the
sales have been 49,737, $50 pounds against
%, 1927, 100 in the same weeks OF 1882, when
the mills were well employed.
yania and Others in the Pittsburg region
and Ohio has stopped. Bessemer pig at
Pittsburg has declined to $40 and grey
them to $14 tank steel plates have sold
below 1c, and common bars at voc
per 100 pounds with black sheets in light
demand at $3.50 for No. q. Yet the struc,
turaI works are well employed on old
orders with others coming in nraor The rail
works are all busy t on oraTfs e faHga
to revive the pool. The visible supply
of tin has increased 5000 tons in April al; and
the price is shade lower at 13.25c The
heavy sales of lake copper are believed
to cover some large consumers Tor most
of the year: -, 90, :,
the United States, against 23S last year, and
SO in Canada, against "a last year.
Rradstreet's Review of Trade.
NEW YORK, May 7.-Bradstreets report
tomorrow will say: Favorable business
features this week include the continued
decline of water in flooded districts of the
Mississippi river valley, in a portion of
which planting has begun; better demand
for staples at Baltimore, st. Louis Omaha
Milwaukee, st. Paul and Sioux Falls;
larger sales of iron ore TO Western fur
naces and a revival of activity among
country merchants in some Central West
ern States Unfavorabe trade features in
clude the further decline of prices for Bes-
semer pig iron and steel billets with pro-
duction of pig iron in excess of consump-
ton and the prospect favorable for blow
ing out a number of stacks. Cool weather
West has checked the retail demand and
complaints are received from wholesale
dealers in shoes, clothing and dry goods
Low Temperature has retarded the growth
of cotton and corn in Texas, and IN Zen
lucky the leaf tobacco crop will be short
The lake trade outlook is not satisfactory,
the movement of building materials is slow,
mercantile collections show no improve
ment and the spring trade IN general con-
tinues disappointing. Exports OF Whedt
from both coasts of the United states and
Canada this week (1our included as WheaD
amount to 1799 322 bu, as compared with
lis 900 bu last week, lSS2,MO blu in the
week year ago, 2,S05,oOO bu two years ago,
2.S15,0O0 bu three years ago, and as con-
trasted with eco bu in the like week
of 1893 Exports of Indian corn amount to
3,137, 7S1 bu this week, compared with 365l,-
600 bu last week, 1,S91,OOO bu IN the week dod a
wear ago 933 600 blu two years ago, l90,G00
bu three years ago, and 1046,C00 bu in the
like week of 1888
The total number of business failures
throughout the United States this week
does not vary materially from what may
be regarded as the average in recent years
for a corresponding period, amounting to
22S against 244 last week, 267 in the week
one year ago. 224 in the week in 1888, l9S IN
1894 and 2l9 in 1893. There are thirty-nine
business failures reported from the Domn-
ion of Canada this week. compared win VIZ,
week one year ago twenty-seven two years
ago and thirty in the like week of 1894