The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-22
1T SHOWS QUIET STRENGTH.
ACTIVITY CONTINUES ALONG IN
DJSTRIAL LINES.

Foreign Demand for Manufactured
Products COunterbaIances the
Falling on in other Lines-In-
crease in Our ExpOrts-COttOn
Goods Hold Up Well and the
Strength of the Iron Market Is
Unabnted.
New York. April 21.-Bradstreets to-
morrow will say:
1.-THE general business situation Is one of
quiet strength, while in industrial lines
activity continues undated. The we'll
nigh universal testimony of damage 10 the
winter wheat crop has had surprisingly
little effect on prices as yet, owing partly
to improved weather conditions strength
ening the hopes of a larger area in spring
wheat, and also to good crop reports
abroad and increased visible supplies as
compared with a year ago, encouraging
foreign buyers in their neglect of Ameri-'
can offerings
An enlarged demand for this country's
manufactured products in some degree
counterbalances the falling off in the value
of agricultural exports, notably cereals
and cotton, shown as compared with a
year ago. For the month of March a drop
of SS,Oo0,OOO in exports of breadstuffs, cot
ton, provisions, live cattle and mineral
oils has been partly made up by a gain
of nearly 100000 in other products. leav-
ing the net deficiency as compared with a
year ago Z per cent.
Imports and Exports.
Imports reflect The increased purchasing
power of the country, the total for March,
in fact, being the largest since May, 1897.
For the nine months period exports, as
a whole, are a little less than double the
imports. In iron and steel, new business
is of even smaller proportions, a notable
exception, however, being in the line of
wire goods and nails, ON which prices have
been very generally advanced. Quotations
Of pig iron, steel billets and nearly ell of
the cruder FERNS are firmly held, while
for many finished products, such as plates
and bars, even higher quotations are
asked. Mills and furnaces are reported
crowded with business on earlier orders,
and the disposition of buyers to delay plac-
ing their business for the latter part of the
year is reported as viewed with equa-
namity.
Cotton Goods Are Strong.
The cotton goods situation is still a
strong one, though current demand from
agents is light. Heavy orders booked for
gray goods some time ago make strength
In this line, but converters complain that
finished goods have not advanced proper
tionately
Retail distribution of staple products has
been improved by more favorable weather,
thus encouraging hopes of future good re-
orders from wholesale hands. Following
| the outburst of activity in wool last week,
business has rather fallen off, but values
| remain steady. Continued buying of high
grades of foreign wool for re-export is re-
ported, and there is some talk of high
| grade American woods being bought for
shipment to England
Following an advance early in the week,
| due to good foreign advices and a crop
movement smaller than expected, cotton
| is uuieter, but holds part of the advance.
| The strength of raw sugars is notable
feature Abroad, quotations of beet sugar
have been advanced, while the Cuban yield
| is not expected to be large, and Brad
! streets advices point to not more than
half an average crop being grown in
| Louisiana. Raw sugar is higher on the
! week, but refined Tags behind, though con-
| sumption is enormous.
The demand for lumber at wholesale con-
| tinues good, and the Southern industry
seems to be sharing to the full in the
general prosperity. Retailers however, re-
port buyers slow TO pay the advanced quo
tations.
Leather and hides are strong, and boots
| and shoes hold recent advances.
Shipments of Cereals.
Wheat including flour. shipments for
the week aggregating 2,s52,S59 bushels,
against s3,6l9 bushels last week, $685.
los bushels in the corresponding week or
| 1898; 654 668 bushels in 1897; 1856 400 BUSH
| els in 1896 and 2,431 ,6S4 in 1895.
Since July l this season the exports of
wheat aggregate 1893 262 ITS bushels, against
| 1871, 503, $50 bushels last year.
Corn exports for the week aggregate g.
O91 $40 bushels, against 1866 125 bushels last
year. 1858 4S2 bushels in this week a year
ago: 769. 315 bushels in 1897; 9S1 POS bushels
| in 1896 and 482, $3.50 bushels in 1896
Since July / this season corn exports
aggregate 1873 047, 744 bushels, against 147,-
| 123, S24 bushels during the same period a
year ago.
| Business failures show a notable falling
off from those of last week, aggregatlng
| 1877, against 249 in the preceding week, 22i
in this week year ago, 2l6 in 1897 2i0 in
1896 and 223 in 1895.
Business failures in the Dominion of
| Canada number 80 against % last week.
| Is in this week a year ago, % in 1897. 81
| in 1896 and 80 in 1895.
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