The age-herald., 1898-02-19
 TRADE REVIEWS
 OF PAST WEEK Show That Favorable Features Dominate Business Situation. THE IRON AND STEEL TRADE Shows No Signs of Falling Olf in Marked
 Activity. THE VOLUME OF DISTRIBUTION Shows an Increase Notably in Dry Goods and Groceries-The Maine Disaster Had Little AppreciabIe Effect
 on the Market.
THE VOLUME OF DISTRIBUTION

New York, Feb. 1Ss-Bradstreet's tomor row will say:
 Favorable features dominate the general business situation as a whole, and a few commercial conditions present themselves which can be regarded as in any degree disturbing Chief among those factors which make for continued or growing strength in commercial lines may be men tioned the renewed tendency toward ad- vances in quotations of all staple articles and the steadiness of prices in other lines where increaess are not at the moment reportable.
 Perhaps second in the list of suspicious features is the continuance of marked ac- tivity in nearly all branches of the iron and steel trade. The failure of the south ment is, of course, a depressing feature in that particular section, which, however finds @ countkrba1ancing factor in the in- tention to advance prices reported from the Besemer ore products.
 Shows Increase
 The volume of distribution trada shows an increase, notably in dry goods and gro ceries, at many widely separated points as to which the conclusion that spring trade is receiving perceptble impetus. In the east the cotton goods situation is one of hopefvul strength owing to the
 
 tfon of production due to the New England mill strikes.
 The strength of cotton, sugar and rice and the demand for iron all favor the southern trade situation which is also being helped by the growing forengn draOe in cotton goods.
 Business Failures Decrease
 Business failures continue to decrease aggreeating only 269 for the week against 273 last week and 325 in the corresponding week of last year.
 As above intimated the price situation is one of great strength. Compared w1uh a week not one article of staple use is re- norted lower. Prices of nearly all kinds of grain, but notably wheat, corn and nour and of most meals have advanced
 rrhe exports of both wheat and corn enas week show a marked increase over ohose of the previous seven days.
 Duns Review
 New York Feb. 1S.-R. G. Dun cos. review of trade will say tomorrow:
 The dreadful disater to the Maine, much as it has affected all hearts, has not much affected business. Only in the stock mar ket but in no other speculative markets was an effect felt, nor in general business Wheat has risen 33s cents, and exports continue so heavy that a material ad- vance is natural. Atlantic exports m three weeks have been S,4l6,495 pusheis, flour included, against 5,66l,Sn last year. Srch shipmentS, with heavy enSaseihehlS for the future, in spite of Il, ,SSl busheis exported, against 12,507 PA bushels in the same week last year. are conclusive prooi of the urgency of foreign needs.
 World Needs Wheat
 The bottom fact is that the world needs wheat, which this country can only sup ply for about six months to come.
 Cotton has held unchanged for spot, though a little lower for options, pros pects of decrease in the next yield being the main support.
 The iron output Feb. 1, with reports or stock on hand not held by the great steel companies, indicates consumption or at least 5000 tons per week greater Tn Jan, nary than the previous maximum attained in November, 1895.
 The production Is at present greater than consumption, stocks having increased 9,O6O tons weekly in January outside the steel companies, whose stocks presumably decreased.
 Weakness in Pig
 Some weakness in pig would naturally result, but while grey forge has declined at Pittsburg to $S.9O, with southern iron changes appear in products Though new business has been somewhat disappoint- ing. the works are mainly supplied for months ahead
 In the cotton manufacture production Is restricted by strikes, and some grades are a shade dearer. The recent opening of high grade woolens at advanced prices meets less demand than was expected, with less activity in lower grades and un- expectedly numerous cancellations in light weights, indicating larger buying than