Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-12
THE STATE OF TRADE
CONTINUED ACTIVITY IN NEARLY
ALL DIsTRIBuTIvE LINES.
INDUSTRIAL SITUATION BETTER.
Likely to he Improved ny Ending Of
New England Cotton-MiII strikes
No business Restriction or Hin
drance Anywhere.

NEW YORK, March u.-Bradstreets
tomorrow will say: Continued activity
in nearly all lines Of distributive trade,
but more particularly at the larger cities
Of the West, South. and far Northwest
is the most favorable feature coming I'M
der notice. Other favorable features in
clude the heavier foreign demand for
wheat and flour. as indicated by increased
exports over last week and last year,
and the bank clearings, heavily exceed
ing corresponding periods Of previous
years, though smaller than in recent
weeks. Less favorable features are few.
The volume OF business I'm the iron and
steel trade Is reported very large, with
relatively best reports coming from the
West Pig-iron production shows fur
Their gain, and stocks show a slight In
crease. Large sales Of copper are fea-
ture, and prices are reported higher Tor
the week, as are also the quotations for
Indian corn and wheat -four.
The industrial situation seems likely
!. to be improved by the ending of the New
England cotton-mill strikes. Business Is
generally active at the West. Southern
and southwestern buyers are more ac-
| tive at st. Louis. Kansas City packing
houses report demand one-third larger
than that Of last year. A perceptible I'M
! prOvement In distribution Is noted at
| Chicago In many lines OF trade. An or
| der for 10000 tons OF steel rails Is fea-
| ture of the weeks business at that city:
Trade is of satisfactory volume at the
| northwest. Export business In flour and
| wheat from the Pacific Coast shows a
| considerable gain. Boat building Is ac-
tive on Alaskan account. a good bust
ness is doing at the South.
| Business failures in the United States
! Week
and 227 i'm the corresponding week of 1897.
Business failures in Canada this week
| number 81, against q last week and 90 III
1897.
Larger wheat and -four but smaller
corn. shipments are a feature Of the eX-
port trade this week. The total exports
| of wheat (fiour included from the United
| States and Canada this week were 4iSi,-
| 761 bushels. against 3252003 bushels last
| week, 1891 2 bushels in 1896, 2'i5l, lo'
bushels in 1895, and 3.25SO5O bushels IN
1894. Corn exports were smaller, amount
ing to only 3.2S5.OS bushels, against o'Voi'
900 bushels last week.
NO HINDRANCE ANYWHERE.
Messrs. r. G.. Dun & Co.'S Weekly Re
view OF Trade will say in its issue OF To-
morrow: 1t Is most gratifying that ne
industry or branch or business snow
any restriction or hindrance, but una
some have been rapidly gaining for the
past week and month. The railways are
gaining even while spectators are sell
ing their stocks and the demand FOL
products for all the great Industries Is
| increasing
More gold Is coming from Europe thar
is needed $40 SOS. 600 having been ordered
during the past week, and money mar
kets here are not alarmed or stringent
| though reasonably more cautious. I'M
country rests assured that it's Industries
almost all OF its business. the foreign de
mand for its products. and especially al
its resources, are beyond the reach o.
any foreign power, and that the country
honor and foreign interests are In sat
hands 40
The wheat exports have been 4,17l. ~
bushels flour included, against l2bs IL
last year; from Atlantic ana ,l5 7,o P Sni
els, against 3,0l6,546 last year. export
of corn. I'm spite of smaller yield, haV
been 77O6, 49i bushels In two weeks
against 9,33669 last year, when they Ia
surpassed all records. Wheat decline
PA cents. but corn did not change durin
the week Cotton declined an eighth. tn
; sales of fertilizers indicating less reduI
ton OF acreage this year than was ex
pected. The exports OF principal product
in February were SCI 634,0 9l in value, wit
. | an increase over last year OF about
| per cent. I'm breadstuffs, Of % per cen
= in cotton, and OF p per cent. In the az
, | gregate. ,,o
The weekly output of pig-iron wGs 22s
! 1898 tons February ist, but 34430 Marc
list. and the increase over unsold slOcf
. i'm February was only 5S52 tons week.
leaving 225 532 tons weekly for export
consumption, against 2s,457 in Janua,
- and 2l52i9 i'm November, 1895. the mont
Of greatest consumption before TINS yea
For four months production has game
a little. but orders still more. Other cor
sumption. for railroad cars, for vesse
on the lakes, for elevators and oll-pil
lines. for agricultural implement "oIh
and for sheets is beyond precedent, al
structural and rail works are crowd
with orders though now receiving Ie
q The minor metals are generally strong
v In demand. l..
= been the smallest since the week
a greatest alarm i'm August, 1896, put n
" h----.-.... rnills haNa SlOnDen MOr