The record-union., 1899-05-06

cotton goods market is the more steady
because some strikes still limit produc-
ton a little, but is quite encouraging
and active, and in some staples has fur
Their advanced.
Failures for the week have been las:
in the United States, against, 23S lasf
year, and % in Canada, against % last
year. 81
NEW YORK, May Bradstreet's"
tomorrow will say:
That this is indeed an era of trade
and industrial combination seems eVI-'
dent from the long list of announce
ments of new consultations, rumored
or actually fioated, coming to pubic
view this week. Whether this tenden-
cy has as yet reached it's elimination
cannot, of course, be easily predicted,
but in some lines of industry the an
nouncements of projected consolida-
tons would seem to have little room
for further operations of this kind
Easily first in this direction is the gl-
gantic iron and steel combination, an
nounced with seeming confidence as in
process of formation. Second only to
this, however is the actual flowing OF
the great copper combination
While wholesale trade continues OF
a between-season volume, every gem
eral evidence is forthcoming that the
aggregate is in excess of last years
undeniably good proportions, and re-
tail demand is of an encouraging char
acter That the time of fall booked Is
in excess of the average is very gem
orally conceded. Advances in prices
adj
point to the widespread demand for
iron and steel and rendered less doubt
full the hold of American products on
foreign markets.
The tone of the general markets is
notably strong for the season of the
year, a prominent exception being pork
and hog products generally, which
have been the subject of bearish manip-
ulations. Cereals are generally firm,
cash wheat being fractionally higher
at the seaboard, on interruption to
movement by the water route, caused
by the grain haulers' strike at Buffalo,
while option business is in a waiting
stage, pending the Government report
on wheat condition and acreage next
week
Copper, among the metals, retained
all it's strength, speculative interest in
copper consolidation being a sustain
ing feature, offsetting depressing eff
fects ON consumptive demand of the
recent advance.
A special feature this week is the
activity in building and in real estate
from a number of widely separated
sections, and lumber and building ma
terials generally are firm and tending
upward.
Wool markets note change in the
buying of some large lots of domestic
woods for speculation, and prices are
firm, in sympathy with advanced quo
tations paid for some large lots of Aus
tralian bonded wool bought for re-
export
The strength of sugar shows no di-
minution, despite recent advances and
further gains are to be noted, chiefly
owing to good domestic demand and
advancing European markets.
Leather and hides are firm, and boot
and shoe manufacturers are realizing
advanced quotations.
Failures are down to their lowest
level, numbering only 164 this week
against 1874 in this week a year ago.
Wheat Gncluding -four shipments for
the week aggregate 3,4S4, 0S1 bushels
against 3,02S, 403 bushels last week.
and J, 293. 775 bushels in the correspond
ing week of 1898. Since July 1st this
season the exports of wheat aggregate
1919. I04, 662 bushels, against 1873, S76,-
40 last year.
Business failures in Canada are few
er than last week, numbering, only %,
against u a. week ago, % in this week
a year ago. and 80 in 1897.