Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-09
STATUS OF TRADE.
QUIETING DEMAND on WAR TALK
AND COOL WEATHER.
MANUFACTURING HARDLY LESSENED,
banking Conservatism Has Not In
creased the Number of Failures
Which Number Continues Smaller
Than for Many Years.

AoT
NEW YORK. April S-Bradstreet's to-
morrow VIII say: A sensible quieting of
demand for staple goods is perceptible in
Tie various detailed trade reports coming
to hand this week. At the East the drift
If matters affecting our foreign relations
has been such as to discourage new bust
ness. but this tendency has been consid-
-raDly accumulated by untimely cold
weather. which has checked the usual
Laster demand 90 a considerable extent.
Reports from the West are that the
heavy rush Of spring business is about
over, and that orders coming in now are
# a flhng-in character. Here again re-
ports Of unreasonable weather are met
with. \ fairly good business is reported
at the South, but a slight check to our
export trade is reported, growing out Of
the raising OF freight and insurance rates.
consequent on the disturbed foreign out
look. Frost is reported TO have done con-
siderable damage to the peach and other
fruit crops of the South, and 20 early
planted tobacco. a fairly satisfactory
trade is reported at the Northwest Lake
navigation IS now open. and anticipations
are that a prosperous years business
VIII be done.
Rather less activity is noted in most
OF the country's great staples. Cotton
goods have moved fairly well. ginghams
especially being in excellent demand. and
tycept Tor low-grade cOttons, notably
rsiut-cloths. which have made a new low
price record of cents per yard this week
-le situation Is as favorable as could be
tspected.
WOOL is dull, rejecting uncertainty a.
DID, future business, and unsatisfactory
margins Of profits.
The iron trade continues to report
large volume Of business being DONE but
o is becoming evident that this is chiefly
upon orders previously booked.
BICYCLES ACTIVE
4 feature of trade at leading cities THIS
week is the active business in bicycles IN
Chicago and New York, where sales are
the largest on record.
Wheat shipments dncluding -four this
* are slightly larger than those OF
- week. and considerably in excess OF
20 year. aggTegating 3.773,f2b bushels
I'D. that period, against S'5o664 bushelS
last week. 2036. 900 bushels in the same
week a year ago. 10000 bushels in 1896
md 293fOO0 bushels In 1893
corn exports have fallen off sharply,
-gregating 3.5j7,OO bushels, against
1880 bushels last week, 4,6io'OOJ Dush-
rs in the same week year ago, l'"9I,OoV
bushels i'm 1896, and $4,000 bushels in 1879.
Business failures in the United states
his week number 220 against 226 last
week. z82 in the corresponding week OF
1891. go In 1896 and 225 in 1888.
business failures this week III the
Dominion OF Canada number IS, against
q, last week. 80 in the corresponding week
" 1891 30 in 1896, 70 in 1899, ana - IN 1871
QUESTION OF WAR OR PEACE.
Ncssrs X G.. Dun * Co.'S Weekly Ike
View Of Trade tomorrow VIII say Nheh
everybody Is asking whether IL Is 10 DE
war or peace. the state or business Is iot
easy TO fudge Since nobody can Judge
.isf how wise bankers may be in an
.mereeucv there is some uncertainty
but thus far scarcely any stoppage what
ever az manufacturing concerns appears
nor anv indications that the producing
.ufce IL likely 70 be diminished, nor Is
any such symptom TO be seen III business
reports Evidence of existing colu'tioII"
s not uniform SO far, banking cohsei
.atism has not caused laliuie9' w.
continue smaller than for many years
. March. nor has il caused the stoppase
Of amy manufacturing concerns nor Ies9-
,1ed The volume Of business reporleu =.
railroads i'm tonnage. or cieariIgS d.
principal points. -, ond
The wheat outgo counts TOT tIuoI'' 80,
.nutinues. Atlantic exports havihs 49, 80
-i0I-2 for the week, against Lo-l'l-- To-
year. and Pacific. .22G.574 bushels against
..- TX laet vear since corn exports con
tIgue 24s,. G5g bushels against 5.5Z5zf lasl
t.ar the strength Of the demand Is not
t0 De attributed 10 speculative aBehV'S:
Tr l4 fortunate that western recelpts VI
wheat do not fan short Of the eNtraoIul-
nary gain but are still lSvi'"oo' ot"'''a
53li9 last year. 80 that the stoiIoS
iac nearly exhausted supply VI -,
tre fables for children. Inc pii0e
steadily. and closed &C. higher TOT wheat
with corn fc. higher. At the same time
the exports Of cotton are eXtIaoiu'n",is'
slough lust now deferred by the c"ulio,
which causes larger shipments py ran
FOB Nev, York instead Of outside from the
Guf ports. For four weeks II mas W.
fleed nearly S25O0.O90 per week srea.o.
ttan I'm 1895. from the largest crop Ste
Grown. in spite OF the fan IN price WIN"
aas not changed during the Week
ENORMOUS OVERPRODCCIloH'
ln such conditions heavy indusul a 80
mands for great force OF opsi 49,
every great industry meets eioi '''Ds
orororodrction. compared with CORE
Spending demands IN any other yeai,
.3nc,er prosperous, end yet nearly AL
are keeping almost the whole force en-
p.,yo9 and some are Increasing Iotoo
Sales Of wool are significant, ana p liGes
have declined cents for nner sr"p 'l,
and over / cent on the average lDs u
grades. only because spectators wno,y
nderestimated stocks held by p"n"'
lecturers I'm
H. tho iron and steel Industry W."