The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-02-27
REVIEW II =; u !, or TRADE :.
Gcnerni Conditions hNow Decided
Signs OF Imprt,Yomortl - Z, '

/ T s
Signs ofInil,rovcment.{S =
!, New YORK, Feb 26.--Bradstreet,s IL.
morrow will say: The placing or orders
Tor nearly 81 100000 tons or steel within
me past three weeks is the most import
ant influence for Improvement in GEN
erai trade since the November election.
~ good share OF these orders Is fo,.
blooms and blllets and inasmuch ns tbn
Dulk OF them are placed with the more
modern among the lnrger steel mills.
the latter find themselves well supplied
WIN work for months to come. ,rhe
Dessemer pig iron and steel billet mark
ets have been duly influenced
advances on heavy sales. The
contract for steel rails taken since
the break in the price, together with
expenditures necessary to lay the IN lis
means the placing In circulation OF no
Tess than s35.ob0,000. The meaning OF
SITES OF rails for export has been exag-
serated as some orders placed abroad
were due to English mills being tempo-
rarliy engaged on other forms of steel
the rush for rails seems to be about
over anu the outlook Is for higher prices
consumption OF bessemer pig iron 10
IN excess OF production and wire and
Wlre-nal mills are running full time
Many WOODEN mills in New England
nave started up. Manufacturers are
| puyng III expectation OF Il duty being
placed on raw, wool. Recent improve
lnent in cotton goods Is maintained.
~ most cities there has no change
| IN the volume or temper Of trade no
mand Is Quit and while cxpectutions rn
| Vor an early Improvement, progress
mus far has been disappointing. The
most marked gains are at Chicnro md
81. Louis. where Visiting merchants
nave been relatively heavy purchasers
1I ary goods, clothing ana groceries
4 n1,,t,
Waukee and Louisville III some instances
regard the outlook rs more unfavorable.
| ohlaForable weather OH the South Al
iantlc coast and at the Northwest has
interrupted business and reports from
GaiVeslon and Nashville are that the
appointing " : In
The weeks volume Of clearings is
|SlS''a2o, 42o 055, twelve per cent. less than
last week. but II per cent. less than In
the like week one year ago
| Inc price movement IS more favora-
PIE. with advances for hides. and In
some instances. for shoes, for besscmcr
pig iron. steel bilets, cotton. Indian
corn, oats. cheese and turDentine.
Leather remains firm at the recent ad-
vance and lumber, Southern pig iron.
par iron. steel rails rosin. rice. wheat,
Hour, sugar and coffee are practically
unchanged. There are 25S business fail
states, compared with 1926 last week and
ia IN the week one year ago.
IL, q. Dun & Co. will say o-mo,row
IN their weekly review OF trade:
GENUINE Improvement In business
does not come with Ilsh like the brpa K
ing of q great dam. The growth for
some weeks past has been more cncour-
! aging, because in nearly all lines Il has
neeh gradual and moderate. The rup-
lure or me Steel rail and other combi-
nitlohS III the iron business has brought
out vast tide of trade, which has
been held back and has set many thou
,ahds OF men a work, while the slow
nut steady gain in other indus tries has
given employment to many thousand
more put the full effects will not APP
! pear until the increased purchases by all
| these swell the distribution OF goods.
This comes more slowly and later. but IS
| already apparent. Certainty !cgariline
the future Will help It nightly, and is
Dy multitudes expected with strong
| nope Meanwhile 1t Is substantial
ground for confidence that months
! which were regarded by many in the
! money market with serious apprehen-
sion, have passed without. disturbance.
ana with steady gain in the position of
| the country and Of the treasury
| II was not to be expected that the ex
cess or exports over imports would con-
| tlnue as large IN January as Il had been
IN previous mon tbs. and yet 1t was sur
| pr!=inSly large. The February return;
nave naturally bean less favorable a:
cotton exports fail CT Ell this season,
ana yet the decrease compared with In st
year is trifin". wn.'c The increase in
imports. 10 Gc expected al this season.
mas amounted during The past three
Weass TO only 900, compared with
! last year. or about pc: cent Nothin.
| IN the state o. foreign exchanges ind!-
| Gates that TIE heavy credits in favor
or this country have been liuuldatcd or
seriously di!Hini hcI!
/ IRON bars are unchanged, but orders
| Tor 300 cars by one railway with hume
rous others, increase the demand. and
| plates arc required for two grea. elevs
| tors ut Chicago. Important contracts
10" export continue and American max
| ers undersell foreign in TEMPLATES by "a
cents. and arc selling cotton ties below
| 20 cents for which $!l0 was charged by
Importers 4 year ago
| with less g3n!dity, but yet steadily.
| pther Industries are gaining. Although
7 brown courtyard sheetingS are an eight
| lower ana print cloths 4 sixteenth lower.
| II 1s1ound that several cotton mills re
started. not covered by the restriction
as TO print cloth works, which Is carried
out. increasing demand has also start
| ed quite n number Of woollcn mills, in
| Guiding many making dress goods and
| hosiery. The demand for mems wool
! lens is also somewhat better, especially
Tor heavy weights, and there are imprOy
| n ~ p..f -nli IN