The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-04-03
GENERAL TRADE IMPROVED,
According TO the Reports Of BradStTeet
and R. G. DOn & 10.
IRON TRADE SOHEWHir STAGGERED
on Account of tho supreme Courts pec'Ss
ion Against KaiIrose ComDin""ons'
Cottonand Textiles Gainiug IN Busi-
uessand the Cor. Trade Active.

NEW YORK. Apn 2.-Bradstreets to-
morrow viii say.
Tho course OF general trade shows some
Improvement, no Witnsi~nding an almost
complete stopp4go ol business ia the
South Mississippi Wiley by Washou's'
ovofnows aud mood. 1ne condition OF
country roalways throughout Central
Western States ano the Northwest Is such
A. 10 sun urtncI decay collections ana
oAcch demand from interior merchants
Another crop as recorded IN prices OF
I,.sem,r DIX on and steel Dlhets, ana
,.ur.n t.ut. tJdl. COueo ana laId, Whicn
is lu mani. iuatt Dy INCREASED dcliFity
ana n-a,r rIDcs lot WOOL anu Tor WOOL
lena. lof c.iu, oats, susdr, ana pe.io-
llum.
A foay, movement OF fertilizers is re-
uorf,t Dol south AiLluuc States interest
u lmu.r and shingles has increased IN
t1c NorIwest. fdcluc coast and CAVES
toY is sporting cattle 10 Europe direct.
T.e most favorable trade reports are
from .Oltnwestern spring wheat states.
more are 4.8Uy business failures ln the
TrH.u States reported by Bradstreet
dufug the past quarter compared win
lu tne nrst quarter OF 1870. a fdlilnB
Off of about IL per cent.
Bank cicarinss Tor march at eighty-two
..ues throughout the United states show
an increase Of Us per cent, compared
with March one year ago.
K. q. DUN'S REPORT
r.. O.. Dun & Co viii say tomorrow
iu their weekly review OF trade.
Tile markets are still waiting, some
slgelug downward and others recovering.
There is much disposition TO use the de-
cisl0n Of the Supreme Court against rail-
road combinations az an instrument Tor
depressing stocks, and yet the buying has
prevented O. decline exceeding 81 per
share.
The reports Of railroad earnings for
The quarter have seen somewhat en-
couraglng, the aggregate having been
ou roads within the United States only
80 per cent smaller than last year, and
the March returns have been rather
more favorable than those for January
or February.
Tho vote OF the House I'm favor Of q new
tariff bill has made no impression. as
10 has been expected since November
that some measure of the same general
character would become a law. If the
hiu stands with It's provision, making new
duties applicable April 1st the chances
are that forcisn imports and treasury
receipts may be for time considerably
restricted.
PRODUCTS VARIABLE.
Tho market for products has been va
r.lh'o and uncertain. Wheat closes a
cent lower than last week. and the May
outlou has declined two cents. The move
wtut of corn continues so large as 10
materially affect the demand for wheat
Current trade estimates regarding the
wheat crop are a little more favorable
and are somewhat more likely 10 prove re-
makes the condition OF growing wheat
better known. Cotton has not changed
iu price, although the floods in the South
west have doubtless done much harm.
The cotton and other textile manufac-
turcrs are slowly gaining unchanged in
prices. and restriction of output seems 10
have given some relief 10 the market
The buying Of wool by mills is still q
noteworthy feature. being far I'm excess
Of current consumption. but there is 4
much greater volume OF transactions De-
tween dealers and at three chief matNets
the sales for i've weeks have been 6l.125.2CO
pounds against 2J317G16 i'm the same weeks
OF 1892 when tho mills were well employ
cd. Prices are very strong both here and
"a London.
IRON INDUSTRY STAGGERED.
The iron and steel industry mas lcen
staggered. so to speak, by the decision Of
the supreme court duectlng railroads
since DO is apprchended that purchases not
only OF rails but of cars. locomotives and
bridge materials may be affected. The
demand for rails is stlll considerable and
one order IS pending for 0oO tons for
Japan bat The reduction i'm Mesabi ore
with the want of agreement as yet among
producers of hard ores, tends 20 enCOur-
age the belief iu lower prices for finished
products and so 10 hinder buying. The
great struggle between the ore-prOducing
companies OF Mesabi has not yet so far
developed that anybody can feel conf
dent ass 90 the future cost Of iron. Mean
while with pig accumulatlng although
some furnaces have stopped production.
the price of Bessemcr at Pittsburg Is a
shade lower at so % and Grey Forge at 50
but there are no quOtable changes in
prices OF finished products although the
tone Us rather weak. The new cOmbina-
uon in cut nails only affects selling
prices in Eastern markets.