The age-herald., 1899-03-04
BRADSTREET'S
 REVIEW OF TRADE The Country Enjoying a Period OI EX-
 traOrdinary Prosperity. SOARING PE!GE OF IRON Has Caused a Substantial Increase in
 Wages Of Operatives. COUNTRIES PRODUCING ELEMENTS Are Sharing in the Prosperity ofActivity From the Centers of the
 Cotton Industry-Lumber
 Trade Increasing.

New York; March 3-Bradstreet's tomor- row will say:
 An enlarged volume of spring trade, par ticularly in dry goods, due to spring wealth CT, special strength in the demand and price for cotton fabrics, an immense and urgent call at soaring prices for iron and steel and all it's products and substantial advances in wages, chiefly affecting the above mentioned industries and benefitting at conservative calculation 10000 opera tives, are among features of the week go- ing to show that the producing elements of the country's population are sharing in the present favorable conditions From many cities east and west come reports of an active demand from jobbers for spring dry goods. From the cotton manufactur- ing industry come reports of activity, in- ducing manufacturers to grant advances to their operatives, while the list of advances in prices of iron and steel produced, whether of crude, of manufactured or even of off material, is a virtual roll call of that industry's products. An encouraging fea- ture is the small number of strikes for higher wages reported, partly owing to ad- vances being already conceded as result of sliding scale agreements, only important labor troubles being reported in the coal mining districts in the southwest.
 In the lumber trade the producer seems likely to also reap long delayed reward, as buyers become familiar with the fact that available supplies, whether of hard wood, of white or yellow pine, or of spruce and hemlock, are well controlled, while the outlook for building trade activity is favor able Our export trade in cereals is recoV- .s,,4, rn6 INxyf cent stormy weather, but reports Of dam age to the winter wheat crop on the one hand and estimates of superabundant sup plies of old crop in farmers hands have about balanced each other, with slight advantage as regards prices secured by the bears Prices generally aside from the exceptions noted show few important changes. Corn Is slightly higher, while oats are fractionally lower.
 The movement of cotton at the south has proved smaller than anticipated, and as the current consumption is heavy both at home and abroad, quotations are slightly higher.
 Since July l. this season, the exports Of wheat aggregate 16S, ,712, ,934 bushels, against 164 456 753 bushels last year, and corn ll3,- 5O6, ,4O1 bushels, against 119,31o,7S bushels
 DUN's REVIEW
 New York March 3.-R. G. Dun Co.'S weekly review of trade will say tomorrow:
 The business for the past month was far the greatest ever known in February Clearing house exchanges were about $7,- 900 00O, 900 against 5000, 900 last year and 54.2 per cent. larger than in 1892. In all the years of weekly commercial reporting, there has been no other week. in which the reports from all parts of the country have been on the whole so good as they are this week. Moreover, during the past week there has been a general advance in wages immediate or prospective. At most points the advance of 10 per cent. or more was entirely voluntary. It has averaged to 10 per cent. in tin plate works and about 10 per cent in other cases, and as 1t affects much over 100000 hands it will add greatly to the purchasing power of the wage earners
 The return of failures in February, while showing larger liabilities than in January. are highly encouraging. rather unusual number of large failures in scattered branches of manufacture has swelled the aggregate, including one concern for $1,- 100000 in electrical apparatus, but in nearly all branches the statement indicates a remarkably healthy condition in spite of these failures, while in trading the de- faulted liabilities are smaller than In Jan uary or any previous winter month for for four weeks 12,S29,756 against 9,S7S,636 six years.
 Rapid Advance of Iron
 In prices the striking feature has been the rapid advance In iron and steel pro- ducts, resulting from demand greater than the works in the country can supply. All the works of importance have been crowded with orders running to July and later. Related buyers have given life to concerns long inactive and as these can add little to the output the markets have been entirely controlled by the buying de mand. All sorts of prices have been paid. ,l., IAlf. f>- livery after July l, but $1S.5O is quoted for Bessemer pig at Pittsburg, $12.50 for grey forge and at the east $14.25 is quoted for anthracite No. 1. Prices of finished pro- ducts have also been advanced $2 per ton for eastern and western bars, plates and structural forms and s for wire nails. The demand has not been checked and some heavy orders have been taken at all points, even at the highest prices named, but ex- port business is likely to be stopped for the present.
 Holders of wheat have been looking for the report of the agricultural department regarding stocks held by farmers March 1, but commercial reports indicate that such are largest ever held at this date They have to support them the western receipts from farms which have been larger than for past years in February for four weeks, 12,57l .OOOO bushels against 1O,00O4, 600 bushels last year, while Atlantic exports have been last year.
 Pacific Exports
 The Pacific exports have been 605,737 bushels for the week against 64,993 last year and from other ports 167 ,S29 bushels have been shipped during the past week. Rarely, if ever, has there been as great a demand for grain at this season as now appears, but the prices have receded Ac for the week although corn has advanced hc for spot, the receipts having fallen.
 The textile industries are making DrO- gress. There has been a strong increase in the demand for cotton goods resulting in further advances in the prices for some, while in woolen goods slight advance appears notwithstanding a decline in the prices of wool during February. The de- cline has not been general in wool, nor has the advance in goods. The heavy weight