The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-29
THE CONDITION OF TRADE
A Good Distribution of Spring
Goods.
WINTER WHEAT ADVICES
A Tendency of Values Toward a Lower
Lsvel-Demand for Iron and Steel
Quiet-Notable Advance
in Copper.

New York. April 2S.-Bradstreet's to-
| morrow will say: Favorable weather.
| conditions find reflection in reports of
good retail distribution of spring and
summer goods and in fair filling orders
| from jobbers. Demand from first
hands for general merchandise is an
nounced quieter in keeping with the
| between" period now on hand. In
dustrial activity. continues specially
marked, a pleasing feature this week
being the practical absence of the I'M
rest, particularly in the building trades,
| noted for many years past about May
l. While favoring retail distribution,
the sprins-like weather conditions
however, have been the reverse of slim
uiating as regards quotations of two Of
the country's greatest staples, wheat
and cotton. In these and hog products
the tendency of values has been to-
ward a lower range. Winter wheat
| crop advices have continued irregular,
but good weather enabling large areas
to be placed in spring wheat, coupled
with rather less export demand and de-
n1als OF damage to European crops, has
weakened quotations of wheat and
| flour at leading Western and interior
markets.
in iron and steel this week, the most not
able feature being large sales of South
ern gray forge at Pittsburg. Prices ex-
| hibit all their old strength, and here
the margin of profit on finished pro-
ducts is undoubtedly very good. The
strength of the lumber markets shows
| little impairment. Wool, as a whole, Is
quiet and steady, but relatively high
range of values abroad is indicated by
continued good sales of Australian
bonded wool to be re-eXported. Copper
is notable among the products advanc-
ing this week, aided therein by large
| consumptive demand, but chiefly by
talk of the great consolidation of cop
per producing companies announced
toward the close of the week. Leather
is firmly held, strength being impaired
to this and finished products by the
small stocks of hides available.
| Partially compromising for the falling
off in exports of natural products, par
ticularly cereals, is the immense ex-
pansion in exports of manufactured
goods. Shipments of such goods in
March aggregated over 36,000,0O0, or 35
per cent. of all our exports, a proper
ton rarely if ever approached before,
and in view of probably smallest taxi
ings Of our natural products, foreshad-
owing even more marked expansion in
the future providing that prices do not
advance to point prohibtive of free
shipments.
Wheat, including flour, shipments for
the week aggregated 302,412, 2S3 bushels,
| against 2,923,959 last week; 4,449,0 600
bushels in the corresponding week of
1898: 1,155,S66 bushels in 1897; 1,260,349
bushels in 1896 and 2,555, 600 bushels in
1895.
Since July /. this season, the exports
of wheat aggregate 196.29O196 bushels,
against 1876, 259695 bushels last year.
Business failures for the week num-
Der 1874. as compared with 1877 last week.
245 in this week year ago, 244 in 1896
and 206 in 1895. Canadian failures num-
Der q. against 20 last week, % in this
week a year ago. 81 in 1897.
Bank Clearings.
New York, April 2S.-The following table.
compiled by Bradstreet's. shows the bank
clearings at the principal cities for the
week ended April q. with the PERCENTAGE
n inrrp9 q nd rnI wit \,