The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-29
SPRING TRADE RESULTS
VOLUME FELL BELOW EXPECTA-
TIONS IN MOST BRANCHES.
Few Favorable Features in the Bust
ness Acknowledgements of Brad
street and Dun 81 Co.

NEW YORK, May 2S.-R. G. Dun & Co.'S
weekly review of trade tomorrow will say
People are actually doing more business
than they realize. They reckon by values
but these are much lower than in any pre-
vious year of prosperity and leave little
margin for profits In quantity there is al
most as much business being done as in
the years of greatest prosperity, and though
the increase in population would call for
material expansion the comparison is not
discouraging. The recovery is slow, hesitat-
ing and gradual, but more has been done
on the whole in May than in April while
returns of April showed the volume of bust
ness only 10 per cent. smaller than that of
the best year heretofore. Yet hesitation is
doing it's work every week, and multitudes
are waiting because of possibilities at
Washington. Manufacturers have especial
causes of delay owing to the possible com
petition with foreign goods largely import
ed, but there has been no setback in prices
although cotton goods are dull, without
large demand, and print cloths are at the
bottom. 1t is evident that production far
beyond the consuming demand has forced
the industry into a waiting attitude. Dis
tribution of all dry goods is at present re-
tarded also by cooler weather than is usual
at this season. The wooden mills are pro-
ducing more than they have done for years
though much less than they could or would
like to produce, and manufacturers are do
ing almost nothing in the wool market
speculation has kept sales large-in four
weeks of May 2S, SO, 500 pounds, against
~, l59, $50 in the corresponding weeks Of 1892
Ihere is some weakness observable with
western holders and Eastern prices begin
to feel the weight of enormous imDorts
The iron manufacture gains in spite of the
he do
of pig iron exceeds consumption and is
somewhat decreasing While the consume
ton has gradually gained this week in part
because OF several structural contracts, in
Guiding 1000 tons for this city alone and i'm
part because of the agricultural implement
WORKS having made larger demands and
also because of the proposed leasing of
nearly all the rod mills in the country.
which has caused some buying PIC iron
shows no change in price but it is note
worthy that an advance of rs cents in the
British price of American pig is considered
relief as lessening the urgency to South
ern pig in Northern markets. Cotton ties
at so cents per bundle have quite shut ont
stronger, but tin-plate makers have agreed
on an advance, and yet the best grade sells
as before, at $3.50, against $3.50 for the
foreign.
Failures for the week have been pa in
the united states, the smallest in any week
since September, 1895, against 23S last wear
ana twenty-five in Canada, against twenty
last year.
Bradstreet's Weekly Report.
Bradstreet'S tomorrow will saw: Results
of the spring trade in staples, which is now
over, are disappointing. The volume of sea-
sonable merchandise distributed is less than
expected without taking into account an
Improvement in business compared with a
year ago. Nearly all central Western and
Southern trade centers report business very
quiet. Dry goods continue depressed cot
ton products selling with difficulty some
varieties only on concessions. The an
nouncement of reduced or passed cotton
mill dividends and that several large estab-
lishments will shut down to enable con-
sumption to overtake production. which.
coupled with comparative indifference of
consumers to the lowest prices on record
for iron and steel, would appear sufficiently
to characterize the actual condition of gen
eral trade: Among twenty of the more i'm
portant sta de products only two, hides
and wheat, nave advanced, while one-half
the number cotton. lumber, coal. Bessemer
cloths, sugar, pork and coffee. are un-
changed, although there is a nominal adj
vance in the asking price for Bessemer pig
and steel bilets Exports of wheat flour
included as wheat, from both coasts of the
United States and Montreal this week
amount to 2.0Sl326 bushels, compared with
1855 900 bushels last week 2O64 600 bushels
in the week a year ago, q 900 bushels in
the week two years ago. 2401 900 bushels
three years ago, and 1888, 900 bushels in the
like week of 1898 Exports of Indian corn
also show a falling off, amounting to O.
1885, 1888 bushels this week. against $3.50 600
bushels last week. 1729,000 bushels in the
week year ago, l04000 bushels two years
ago, $1,000 bushels three years ago, and
1850 600 bushels in the like week of 1893
There were 257 business failures through
out the United States this week, a moderate
increase compared with the total OF CORE
spending periods in preceding years. The
aggregate last week was 24S compared with
POI In the fourth week of Nav a wear ago
1873 i'm the like week of 1885. a similar total
in 1894. and pa in 1893. There were twenty
failures in Canada, against twenty-five last
week. I