The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-06
SEEN BY DUN.
Says Improvement is Slow, But it is
Gradual

New York. March 5.-R. G. Dun & Co
will say tomorrow in their weekly re-
view of trade: The slow and gradual
improvement observed for some time
has continued during the past week
and with material success. There is a
better demand for most products on the
whole, with continuance of speculative
buying in some, notably in wool be-
cause of expected duties. Meanwhile.
money markets continue as easy and
undisturbed as if there never had been
any anxiety about the gold reserve,
and fairly large sales of stocks on
London account during the week, pos
sibly because Of international ankle
ties have made no perceptible differ
ence in American markets.
Reports of probable needs abroad
have helped speculation in wheat
somewhat, but it has risen about 8
cents, though the price is still lower
than two weeks ago. Western re-
ceipts of wheat are still small 1,559, PSI
bushels. against 2.301, 633 last year. and
the Atlantic exports, flour included,
were, for the week, 1,232.412 bushels,
against l,541, 1876 last year. but the corn
exports continue so heavy as to COM
pensate largely if not wholly. for any
decrease in wheat, amounting for the
week to 2779974 bushels The gulf
year. Reckoning half a bushel of
corn for one bushel of wheat, the grain
supply of other countries continues
much larger than a year ago. Cot
ton has declined an eighth and with
good reason, for although receipts
from plantations fall off, the decrease
is not greater than the decrease in
consumption owing to stoppage of
mills. AS there is comparatively little
cotton available in the country the
market is very convenient for speculat-
ors TO manipulate.
While many of the mills have
stopped production of cotton goods for
a time. the general outlook is, on the
whole. unchanged, and the demand
for goods does not improve, while print
cloths are a shade lower.
The demand for wool has diminished,
though only a little, and sales are
quite a third more than the full con-
sumption of all mills. if all were at
work; but the speculative buying con-
tinues. Although some more mills
have gone into operation, the course
activity. but it may be said that for
goods OF the high grades there is a
better demand than heretofore.
The boot and shoe industry can
reckon a good many more shops at
work, and shipments have been as
large for the past four weeks as in
any previous year The market for
materials has not changed to any inn
pOrtant extent. While the demand for
Bessemer pig has sustained the recent
advance to s10.T5 per ton at Pittsburg
and grey forge is still quoted at $40,
and there is also less cutting of prices
to get more business in finished prod
ucts, the general range of prices still
continues very low. Wire nails have
been advanced by very heavy buying,
50 $40 per keg. without change in cut
nails. which were dull, and there is less
evidence of eastern mills selling rails
below 500. except for export some
sales of that character having been
made at $40. Western makers are said
TO be firm at S21 per ton. But the de-
bnaads of most important railways
have been supplied for the present, the
consumers of billets are not in the
market just now, and with somewhat
larger production of pig iron it may be
doubted whether outside of rails the
demand for finished products equals the
OPACITY of the works.
Failures for the week have been 246
in the United States against 2S5 last
year. and IS in Canada against 60 last
year.