The record-union., 1899-04-01
REVIEW OF TRADE
CONDITIONS.
A Quieter Tone in Several Lines Of
Business This Week,
Independent of the Reduction in the Volume
of DistributiVe Demand.

An Encouraging Element, However,
is Found in the Readiness of
Buyers to Place Orders for Fall
Delivery, While Industrial Con-
ditions Continue of a Most
Flattering Character.
NEW YORK, March 81. Brad
streets" tomorrow will say:
There is a quieter tone in several lines
of business this week Independent of
the reduction in the volume of dis
tributive demand, resulting from con
tinued unfavorable weather conditions
in a large section Of country. The
strength of quotable values, however,
fails to show that any material slack
ening of underlying movements has as
yet become apparent in leading lines.
Less is doing naturally in leading
Eastern textile markets on the current
seasons account, but an encouraging
element is found in readiness of buy
ers to place orders for fall delivery.
While leading Western markets note
that the edge has been taken off de-
mand, and that bad roads and weather
combined have retarded retail d1Strlbu-
ton, and hence affected collections IN
some sections results of the first quar-
ter's trade with wholesalers have been
so good that their sanguine cheerful
ness as to the outlook is especially
notable. Industrial conditions continue
of most fiattering character, with ad-
vances in wages still prominent
feature in the iron, steel, machinery
and allied trades.
In some lines of manufacturing, it is
true talk of projected or possible COM
binations has made for some uncer-
tainty. Notable in this respect has
been the glass trade, in which, however,
plans for combinations seemed to nave
temporarily failed of accomplishment
Iron and steel are in less active oe-
mand at nearly all markets, but TINS, IN
some measure, appears to be result Oh
scanty stocks or possible supplies offer
ing. and not so much of any curtali-
ment of needs of small consumers.
Large consumers, with supplies Sc
cured ahead, are reported waiting TO
test the strength of the sellers posi-
ton on later deliveries. Prices OF ma
terial are firm, with some further ad-
vances at the West in rails. Copper
and lead show some return of strength
after the recent weakness. Lumber
demand. though interfered with at re-
tail shows all the old strength OF
prices.
Wheat Gncluding -four shipments
for the week aggregate 3.99S,23S bush
els. against 3,746, 161 bushels last
week. $3.50. .664 bushels in the CORE
sponding week of 1898, 2. 4e4, ,G4o bush
els in 1897. l ,693, ,927 bushels in 1896,
and 1858, ,933 bushels in 1893. Since
Julv 1st. this season, the exports OIL
wheat aggregate 1S4 $3.50, 800 bushels
against SO,O67 ,552 bushels last year
There is some shrinkage in the dry
goods demand at New York, but there
is reported a rather better outlook IN
wooden goods.
Talk of commissions in the wool man.
,,f.c+nre trade has softened woolen
quotations at Boston.
philadelphia reports steel plates near
ly double the price when the present
movement began, and the strength OF
ouinino as not being impaired
Rad weather is generally complained
of at the West as hurting distribution
at retail. but st. Louis reports niue
annarent damage to winter wheat, anu
that large orders for cars and railway
continent generally are being placed.
Snring trade at Chicago is the best
since 1892 and surpasses that year IN
MANY lines. tanners are preparing IN
vantories necessary to going into the
new combination, and iron and steel are
s+il1 active though with less snap than
heretofore.
On the Pacific Coast the improved
tone of advices from California is stlil
tho feature Southern advices are
fairly cheerful. Wheat exports are re-
,orted liberal. and the outlook favors
baavv future shipments from that port.
IRON is firm at Birmingham, though
+bora are reports of immense future
;r,oraases in the Southern fields out
put.
Rank clearings for the week aggre
oo+e 81 o35. 3371, ,OCO a gain of less than
+ nor cent. over last week, but Of Us
,,e,. cent. over last year, while they are
double those of 1894, 1896 and 1897,
ond the Gain over 1892 is IS per cent.
past reports of prosperous trade con-
ditions find confirmation in the small
oct number of failures, for the frs.
ouarter reported for seventeen years
past, while liabilities are lighter than
for twelve years preceding The per-
centage of assets to liabilities, too, IS
as low as that reported in the most
prosperous years The total number of
failures for the first quarter of 1892
as reported to "Bradstreet's," was
2.779. 81 per cent. smaller than last
wear. 81 per cent. less than in 1897,
and 13 per cent. smaller than in 1892.
while liabilities aggregated y31, ,221, COS,
or 13 per cent less than in 1S9S 30 per
cent. less than in 1897, and 20 per cent.
smaller than in 1893. Increases in
failures over a year ago were noted in
New England, due mainly to a large
number of embarrassments in Massa-
chusetts, but the only increase in la
bilities in any group of States is that
noted in the far West
NEW YORK. March 31.-R. G. Dun
& Co.. in their Weekly Review Of
Trade" will say:
Failures during the first quarter of
1899 have been in amount of liabilities
rot more than about S26.6SO330,
against S31 710, 142 last year. S4S,O07,-
91O in 1897. and S57.525. 125 in 1896.
While the later returns may increase
the amount for the quarter little, the
complete return which will be given
next week will be very remarkable in
with that Of any previous
year
Business is not at present improving.
There has been something very like a
check, partly the result of heavy buy