The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-29
DUN's REVIEW

New York, April 2S-R. G. Dun e. Co.'S
weekly review of trade will say:
All elements considered it is rather sur
prising that business has not been set
back little. The uncertainty about Sa-
moa and the prolonging of the difficulty
In the Philippines might have accounted
for something, the rising imports and fall
Ing exports for something, the rise in for
eign exchange by some attributed to for
eign sales of copper stocks and the hind
rance of manufacturing orders owing TO
the recent advance in prices.
But there has been full faith that foreign
difficulties would soon be cleared away
and the movement in exchange is gener-
ally connected with speculative rather
than legitimate operations in accounts of
trade, still indicating large excess of ex-
ports.
After every rise In prices manufacturers
have to consider whether hindered con-
sumption with increased production will
make them difficult, but confidence with
which combinations are formed and extend
ed still show prevailing belief that no
danger point is near.
The state foreign trade justifies conf
dence rather than apprehension. 1t is the
season for the lowest exports of staples
and their prices this year are extremely
low, but the unprecedented foreign demand
for manufactured products so far compen-
safes that. The excess of the exports in
March was heavy and apparently has been
In April.
Wool Relatively Cheap
Wool is relatively cheap here and dear
abroad, but If concessions make the low er
prices in the year of all kinds as heavy
stocks carried for years came into pres
ence of new wool said to be 3O000,000
pounds Manufacturers are not buying
largely at present, though in four weeks
80 91S ,7S9 pounds were sold, of which 3d.
315OS5 were domestic, against H,715,650 in
the same weeks two years ago when wool
was rising The cotton manufacture has
made q little change and the strikes follow
ing the advance in wages appears to have
benefited manufacturer not little by help
ing the demand and curtailing the supply
of goods.
Cotton is sixteenth lower with generally
approved prospects for the coming crop.
The boot and shoe industry surpasses all
other years in April shipments last year by
II per cent 1895 by IS per cent, and 1892 by
As per cent, and manufacturers are gener-
ally provided with orders for months ahead,
but the advance maintained does not APP
pear to have been generally without busi-
ness. Bessemer pig is unchanged and grey
forge strong at s14.56, though 5000 tons
southern have been sold here at s142o.
There are some large structural orders, a
philadelphia building for seventeen tons, a
western bridge for 5000 tons, a Duluth ele-
vator and the st. Lawrence bridge at
Quebec though the general run of orders
in this line is light, and in rails no large
sales are reported, though inquiries for 80 GOO
tons are sad to be in this market Adj
vanced prices are noted in pipe and de-
crease in merchants orders, with smaller
business in sheets and at the west in bars
pending the completion of the combina-
ton. But the general decrease in new de-
mand raises the question whether prices
will be main tanned after current orders
run out.
Failures for the week 1874 in the United