The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-16
GENERAL TRADE
QUIE7ING DOWN
BradStreet'S Weekly Review of
Conditions.
LITTLE GAIN IN STOCKS
Money Markets Here and Abroad Have
Been Strained by British Reverses
in South Africa, and Pushed to
Disastrous Liquidation

New York, December 15.-Bradstreets
tomorrow will say:
General trade in wholesale and manufac-
turing line is quieting down, but it is worth
nothing that it is undisturbed by the money
situation, the influence of which has been
confined to speculative circles. Holiday
trades on the other hand has been given
a decided impetus, and comparisons with
the same periods of former years are uni
formy favorable, little doubt remaining
that although the retail trade in seasonable
lines has been somewhat affected in some
localities by unfavorable weather, holiday
specialties have enjoyed exceptional ac-
tivity.
AS regards prices, 1t is notable fact that
as many staples nave advanced this week
as there have declined while BY far the larg-
er number of quotations have remained
steady or firm. The strength of textiles is
still most notable feature of the situa-
ton.
Cotton goods are heavily sold ahead by
agents and a very large spring demand has
already been booked Raw cotton is firm
and unchanged, on the week, partly owing 10
light receipts and reaffirmation of short
crop estimated by the department of agri-
culture.
Wool is less active than of late prices
continue to be firm and some grades are
quotable higher. The London market has
closed at an advance over the last sale and
talk of higher prices at the first of the year
is common. Wooden goods share the
strength of the raw material, and silk and
its products are also firmly held.
Corn, among the cereals, has displayed
n
ceipts and depleted stocks Provisions nave
noted weakening after the recent advance,
but lard and pork are still higher than Iast
week. and hog receipts are rather smaller
than expected. Wheat has been steady,
partly on foreign crop reports, reporting
cod weather, partly because of limitations
of possible interna tional disturbances and
also because of expectations of oullish
government crop report. In most lines OF
iron and steel quietness and frmness are
most confident.
Estimates of production point to little
gain in stocks, and a source of strength is
the claim made that the western furnace
capacity for the first half of leXt year at
least is already booked. Dealings in ore
have been active, and although nothing
like the rush of book production witnessed
a year ago has been seen, a large part of
the years output is expected to be placed
by the close of the year. What little weak
ness there is pereeptible is in a few lines
of finished products.
Hardware remains in quite active demand
at a number of markets and holiday spe-
cialties are notably in good distribution.
In other metals, there is considerable ir-
regularity. Tin is again lower and copper
is being shaded while lead is higher. The
open season, usually not regarded as ia
Vorable in the anthracite coal trade, is
this year welcomed, because it allows of
unimpeded shipments later than usual
Higher water in the Chio, has. released a
large quantity of bituminous COAL and the
outlook is for replenshed western stocks
AT the east, however, bituminous coal is
still in scant supply.
Wheat, including flour, shipments for the
week aggregate 3,25S, $40 bushels against S.
1889 bushels last week; G,2i3S59 bushels in
the corresponding week last year, 1904 1893
bushels in 1897, 1924 ,S26 bushels in 1896 and
2,056,9l3 bushels in 1885 Since July l. this
season, the exports of wheat aggregate 81
639,926 bushels.
Business failures in the United States for
the week were only 210, as compared with
22O last week, 23i in this week a year ago,
2S3 in 1897, S59 in 1896 and 3S5 in 1885,