The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-04-11

Trade Quieter Because of Backward
Spring and UnfavOrable Wheat Crop
News-Lack of Supplies Effects Iron
Market-Prfces still Hold Well

New York, April 7.-Bradstreet's to-
distributive trade is even more mark
ed this week than last, testifying TO
the unfavorable effect upon retail
trade and indirectly upon jobbing dis
tribution Of the cold, backward spring
and less favorable wheat crop advices.
While reports as to the damage of
winter are most numerous from the
southwest, the influence of the back
ward season, frost in the ground and
other unfavorable conditions nave
tended to moderate the hitherto very
cheerful ton of advices from the spring
wheat states. Other features of the
week are a further quieting down of
the excitement in iron and steel, al
though here lack of supplies and not
lack of consumptive demand is assign
ed as the chief reason. A strike Of iron
ore miners in the Lake Superior dis
trict seems likely to complicate the
ore supply question. Strikes involving
$4,000 men have been a feature Of the
weeks operations.
Lumbe is feeling the influence of eX-
panding spring demand al man mar
kets and prices are very strong.
The situation in textiles is little
changed. Cotton is slightly lower on
fuller crop movement, but manufacture
ed goods are firm, though some specu-
lative lots of gray cottons have been
offered at concessions.
Wool and woolenS are rather quiet,
though fall orders for women's wear
goods are encouraging and the raw
product is steady, the view being that
the proposed goods combinations have
not gotten very large supplies of wool.
The situation as regards prices is
still a very favorable one, the list of
staples advancing or remaining steady
being by far the most numerous, while
bank clearing statistics, railroad earn
ings and all other obtainable measures
of trade progress point to an immense
business, speculative and otherwise,
having been done during the first quar-
ter Of the year 1899.
Throughout the west and northwest,
with few exceptions, complaint is made
Of unreasonable cold weather affecting
distribution, particularly at retail. Ac-
companying these reports, however,
are numerous statement that the
business done during the first quarter
was considerably in advance Of that
handled a year ago.
Wheat, including flour, shipments fol
the week aggregate 1884, 800 bushels
against 1888, 238 bushels last week
3,778,726 bushels in the corresponding
week of 1898, 2,O36, 1917 bushels in 1897
! 1,764, 805 bushels in 1896 and 2,934.17.
bushels in 1895. Since July 1st, this
season, exports of wheat aggregate
1873, 345, 600 bushels, against 1S3, SAG, 27i
bushels last year.
Corn exports for the week aggregate
1924, 654 bushels, against 2,411,4 43 bush.
| els last week, 1857, 900 bushels in this
week a year ago, 4,645,5s5 bushels il
1897, 1891, SAG bushels in 1896 and 814,
$50 bushels in 1895. Since uly 1st thi.
season, corn exports aggregate 1872,
| 2S9,679 bushels, against 139, 09S, GAS bush
els during the same period a year ago
Business failures for the week mum
Der 100, exactly the same number a:
last week, but compared with 200 in thi.
week a year ago; 232 in 1897, 231 in 1879
and 225 in 1895.