Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-04-21
THE BUSINESS SITUATION.

l!rulstrea.s for last week says;
EFFECT Of the prevailing uncertainty
in foreign affairs is reflected in n
further perceptible quoting duwn OF
general trade, 40 far as future engage
Teuts are concerned, in nearly all parts
of the country. In the iron trade husi
ness continued of large volume, hut tho
hulk of this is claimed to be on account
Of orders previously hoosed, and new
business. where noted, is for many
Individual lots. Price weakness is
more marked also than for some time
past. A feature OF tho wosiS is re.
ported to la the gradual getting to-
gether Of the non Bessemer zig iron
purcha sers, who arc said to haVo
formed q combination which will in
clude nearly all the manufacturers Of
foundry pig iron botweon tho Allegha-
niea aud the Rocky Mountains. Wool
continues dull at nominal prices ut tho
Eass, and tho activity in nry guuns ia
confined chiefy to goois neeled at
once. Cotton cunds prices arc steady,
except for print cloths. talk of curtail
ing production in which ia continued
Low price woolens continue in most
active demand in this branch of trade
A heavy export demapd is reported 10
wheat ami prices are considerably
higher. Foreign Impressions as to tho
outcome reRariing Uuha are reflected
~ sharp advances in whnEt, whaat
-four, corn, lard and other fond
products Declines ara to be found IN
Bosscmor pig iron, Dtael billets, coifce.
sugar and load, while, as compared
With a week ago. the price of oats.
pork, beef, copper. cotton, wool and
the manufactured prOducts OF both OF
those staples ars generally steady and
unchanged. Thu business failures in
tho Unitoh States for the week number
2lJ, against 220 last week. 1876 in the
corresponding weak of 1907, 2i4 in
1896, and 2l0 10 1895. y
X. q. Dun & Co.'s Review says:
"There in some hinirance in business,
and yet the volume OF the payments
through clearinghouse Is still L. per
cent larger than last year, and outside
Nav York about % per cent larger
than in 1892, though speculative stag
nation here makes the aggregate luwer.
The industries are doing well, because
thoy have enormous orders taken in
February and March or earlier. But
the new orders, upon which they have
to rely if partial stoppage or closing Of
muny works is TO he prevented, are
just now restricted by apprehension
about the money market and tha pos
shility of loans. In the iron business
there are orders for about 20, 900 tonH
structural work held up by questions
OF law. In Chicago the large postoliice
order is yet waiting and the Russian
order for rails is still pending. But
foreign ordsrs for six large vessels arp
pending in Eastern ship yards, and
actual orders for cars alone cover 20, 900
tons basic steel Mt pittsburg. Angles
have becn advanced 81 per ton and
structural works arc all crowded with
orders. while pines are in heavy lie
mand. With prices for priut cloths
still at the lowest point ever toucho,l,
buying of cotton goods is more him
dered than many are willing to admit,
by the idea that other goods not equally
overproduced mny likewise decline in
price. The stagnatinn In wool is some
thing remarkable, the total salos at the
three chief markets having been only
l., 1872, ldi pounds. against 8,606. 600 last
year, and in the first half Of April only
3,3S5,o Oh pounds, against %, BAG, 900 a
year ago.