The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-10-28
BRADSTREET'S
REVIEW OF TRADE
UnSeasonabIy Warm Weather
Had Quieting Effect.
COTTON SLIGHTLY LOWER
Demand is Still Very Heavy in All
Lines of Trade Business Fail
ures for the Week Have
Numbered eli
COTTON SLIGHTLY LOWER

New York, October 27.-Bradstreet's to-
morrow will say:
"A quieting down of distributive trade,
more particularly at retail, is reported in
Geographic advices to Bradstreets this
week, growing out of the unseasonably
warm weather now being experienced in
most sections of the country. Reflection of
this is found in less urgent orders received
by jobbers and in somewhat impaired col
lections at many points. As regards prices,
however, there is no appreciable loss of
strength, the great majority of quotations
remaining steady and among those making
changes advances are still most numerous
That the business condition of the country
remains ait an unprecedented volume is tes-
tilted to by the heavy gains noted in bank
clearings over a year ago and by the I'M
mense increases in railway earnings over
exceptionally good returns last October As
regards the current activity in transporta-
'tion it may be said that eastbound traffic
from Chicago in the past month has been
more than double that reported in the
same period year ago and nearly twice as
large as that reported in October of 1892,
record period of good trade The ocean
freight situation is gradually improving,
partly because high rates attracting all
available disengaged tonnage and partly.
because the check to foreign buying, par
ticulary of cereals, caused BY the advance
in vessel rates, has exercisd a reflection on
the latter market simultaneously with the
drop in freight rates this week has come a
hardening of quotations for cereals, partly
the result of these improved foreign buy
ing meeting the late decline and partly also
by foreign and domestic demand for corn,
which has not as yet brought out the flood |
of offerings earlier looked for. Wheat has |
been sympatC1etically strong, as have other |
cereals and wheat flour has been advanced |
this week.
Coffee is firm but not inLch higher on |
the week, some speculative reaction hav-
ing been noted. Among leading products |
decreasing in price, tin and copper among |
the metals have been most notable the lat |
ter claimed to be due to production APP
preaching more to a parity with demand. |
Cotton is fractionally lower as the result |
of the deadlock between foreign consumers
and American producers The situation of
cotton goods, one of aggressive strength,
is undoubtedly a supporting feature of no
small account. The strength of wool is nat
of wlnicn are claimed to nave been for ac-
count of manufacturers. In wooden goods
demand is Favorable and further pGgce adj
vances are predicted Lumber, after slight |
Hesitation at some markets due to enlarged |
supplies, is again vesy firm, are also |
hides and leather, in sympathy with recent |
advances i'm boots and shoes. The situation |
of iron and steel is perhaps TIE most nota-
BILE one yet presented. Tie feature of the |
market is Jne reported booking by the |
steel rail mills of the country of nearly rs |
per cent. of their capacity for next years |
delivery. In adj 100000 tons of steel is |
reported to have been booked for delivery |
next year, and There is in addition comfort |
able unfinished bucdness of 1899 account, |
which it is claimed Will sill further en-
large the volume of business handled next
year. Heavy buying in pig iron, undoubt-
eddy to cover some of these rail sales is
reported lin the central west at prices little
below those ruling for some time past
In all lines of business the demand is still
very heavy, the demand for steel for cars.
of plates for ship building and for wire De-
ing additional signs of strength The de-
mand for hardware is active at nearly all
markets. The scarcity of supplies noted
last week is still a feature and jobbers are
still pushed for prompt shipments.
Barbed wire, nails and hand Implements
tend higher at some eastern markets. The
complaint that the present high prices are
injuGing our export trade is also heard.
Wheat, including -four sliEnents for the
week aggregate 1855 bushels, against
4,160,6lS bushels last week, 5560,99l in the
corresponding week of 1898, 5,Sl1,5 91 bushels
in 1897, S,62SO0O in 1896, and 2,7lS,ol4 bushels
in 1885
Business failures for the weeKnumber
211, as compared with POI last week, 2l9 in
this week year ago. 2lS in 1884, 246 in 1886
and 299 i'm 1895.
Failures for the week in Canada number
q, as compared with 20 last week, % in
this week year ago, % in 1884, 81 in 1896
and As in 1895.