Birmingham state herald., 1897-07-03
WEEKLY REVIEW IF TRADE
Merchants and Manufacturers
 Are Confident.
lDLENESs DUE TO SEASON
When Wsge Earnings Are Adjusted Increase in Export of Wheat and Decrease
 in Failures.

New York, July 2.-Bradstreet's tomor- row will say: Better weather has fa- vorably affected the sale of reasonable goods, particularly clothing. hats and shoes. Orders for prompt shipment are fewer but the movement of goods for fall delivery has begun. The most encour- aging feature is the continued and in some instances increased confidence of merchants and manufacturers that he autumn will bring a larger volume of business at higher prices. General trade is reported quite satisfactory at Kansas City, St. Louis, Omaha, Memphis and New Orleans fair without special expan- sion at Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Cleve- land Savannah, Galveston and Chicago, and slow or quiet at Birmingham, Little Rock, Atlanta, Charleston Cincinnati and Detroit None of the larger eastern centers records any increase The least favorable feature of the week is found in the disappointment at lack of demand and reaction in quotations for some varieties Of iron and steel. The threatened idle ness of 100000 iron, steel and glass work CTS and soft coal miners, is, except in the latter instance, due in part to the season of the year.
 Exports of wheat (flour included) from both coasts of the United States and from Montreal this week amount to 2,676,SS3 bushels against 2,156000 bushels last week, 2,601 900 bushels in the last week of June, 1896, 2,007, coo bushels in the last like week of 1895, and 1.S50,C00 bushels in 1894, as compared with 3,677 900 bushels in the corresponding week in 1S93 Exports of Indian corn amount to 1923 93S bushels this week as compared with 2,2S1 900 bushels last week, 159S000 bushels in the corresponding week last year, 3SS,000 bushels in the like week of 1895, 539,C0O bushels in 1894 and as contrasted with S7o,000 bushels in the corresponding week of 1893.
 There are 7,024 business failures report ed by Bradstreet's throughout the United States during the past six months, fall ing off of 5TS from the like total last year, with which exception it is the largest ag- gregate of failures in a like period. ss Total liabilities of individuals, firms and corporations failing amount to $93,- 656 900, a decrease of $11,879,000 from the Corresponding total last year, and of $77,- 204, 900 from the liabilities reported in the first half of the panic year of 1893. This ;tctal is also smaller than in the first half of the year 1884, with which exception it Is the largest recorded for the six months periods sia eighteen years. While there has been only moderate decline in the tlumbsr of failures since last year. lia- bilitfss have been unexpectedly increased by the embarrassment of several large manufacturing and ether concerns in New England within the past quarter. Itis worthy of note that the New Eng land states and che territories alone among groups of states and territories report increases in number Of failures compared with last ysar.
 There have been 1,074 business fail ures reported from the Dominion of Cam ada to Bradstreet's during the past six months, 110 less than in the frs. half of last year, with aggregate liabilities amounting to $7618.000, decrease of about per cent. There are 32 fewer fail- ures in the province of Ontario and S4 fewer in Quebec, but liabilities of failing traders in the former show a slight in- crease, while thcee in the latter indicate moderate decrease compared with the corresponding period last year.
 AS DUN SEES TT.
 New York, July 2.-R. G. Dun & Cos weekly review of trade tomorrow will say: Midsummer vacations have conn meneed in several works, with the de- crease of orders usual at this season. This customary vacation is callsd strike where agreements regarding wages for the coming year have not be5n reached, and the ex. ensive strike of Amalg amated Iron Workers announced July 1 is of this nature, but the strike of coal miners in Illinois and other central western states ' is not and may prove costly. In some iron and cotton works wages have been reduced owing to low prices, one cot E ton mill in Virginia closing because the reduction was not accepted. With bet ter demand employers will seek agree ment, and, in it's absence. the workers before long, so tha the situation is dis tinc;ly of midsummer character
 Large hopes are built on prospective demand after the tariff bill has passed but the pressure in the market of large imported stocks may defer The general belief is that removal of uncertainty will in any case increase business. Since much of the future depends on crops, the brightening prospects are of Ghe higher order Statements by persons usually most pessimistic far exceed any made month ago, one promising 559,00) 900 bush els of wheat with lower condition, but { largely increased acreage of corn. Cotton prospects are brighter, as the crop ap- pears to be early rather than late in re- gions which were not flooded.
 The movement of wheat isssmall, vest ern receipts for the week being 1630,779 bushels, against 2,041, ,719 last year and Atlantic exports 2064173 flour incudsd, against 2162,172 last year, but strong effort to lift prices failed, and the close, 13s lower for the week. with corn half a cent lower Cotton rose an eighth, with small sales. The iron and steel industry halts at midsummer. although the de- mand for finished products still increases and disappointment is due only to the ddct that the increase IS n0I yet enough to keep all mills at work ard thus to bring better prices, which row average slightly lower than ever before. though not per cent. below those of March 1895 The export trade is increasing and large order for India has just been taken at price said to be $5 below British bids Coke production is increasing again. as more iron furnaces are goirg into blast and an addition of 25 cents has been or dered in anthracite coal Tin Is higher at Al cents. with larger consumption and copper at f0A for lake, with heavy experts, while lead has advanced to 36 cents American makers are selling tin plates largely at S320 for full weight, against $3.S0 for foreign.
 i Textile manufacturers are waiting. and cotton mills curtailing production with large stocks on hand. and prices slightly changed. while woolen mills are gradual ly increasing work with better orders, ard prices incline to advance shade. Enormous buying of wool 256 GOO 900 IL. .e<. .t.~--l 1floo o<xA