The age-herald., 1900-07-21
WEEKLY REVIEW OF
 GENERAL TRADE
Improved Crop Conditions Fur
 nish the Key Note.
IRON AND STEEL PRICES
Are Evidently Soraping on Bottom Ac- cording to Reports from the Lead ing Centers-PittsburgP Pig
 is on $l7 Basis

New York, July 20.-Bradstreets tomor-
 row will say:
 Improved crop conditions furnish the
 keynote of the trade and price movement.
 As a result of this nearly all staple ag-
 ricultural products are lower in price, and
 at the same time perceptible hvening up
 of demand for fall delivery is noted at the
 West, Northwest and South. The begin
 ming of fall trade is consequently more
 clearly visible in the sections mentioned,
 while at the East the markets are slower
 to experience this improvement, and are
 consequently seasonably dull Bank clear ings as yet fail to reflect any perceptible
 improvement in distribution, and railway
 'a' n:n<s. though of large volume, are, ow-
 ing to comparisons being made with excep-
 tionally good results last year, show less
 notable increase both in gross and net re-
 turns. An increased cost of repairs, bet
 terments, fuel and wages are unitedly re-
 sponsible for this latter feature, because
 gross receipts for later periods show con-
 tinued though small gains.
 Hog products have gone lower with corn, as has also wheat, in which continued
 liquidation has been noted, with the result of inducing a partial return of the export inquiry banished from the market by re- cent heavy rises.
 On the basis of a crop of 900 bush |! els, total crop, the outlook is that an ex- , port of from 132, ,0OO, 900 to 15O0OOOO0 bushels | will be done the coming season without reducing the visible and firm supplies from the total estimated on July 1.
 Iron and steel prices are evidently scrap ing on the bottom if reports from leading centers of cost of raw material and wages are correct. Bessemer pig at Pittsburg is on a S17 basis, with billets at $21, against | respectively $2O and $33 a year ago, so that much of the boom" prices have been cut. Eastern and Southern iron markets are lower than week ago, No l northern foundry being off s1 per ton, and low grade
 Southern iron is assimulating. favora-
 ble feature is the increasing number of in4u.ries rom Europe. Soft coal is going abroad, too, a cargo leaving for London shortly. Tin is cornered locally and higher on the week, while copper is firmer. An thracite coal is steady and confidence in future prices is notable.
 The textile situation is mixed one. Present prices for cotton and finished material do not harmonize. Chinese trou- bles have checked export trade in brown | cottons and a smaller shut down of mills producing these goods and print cloths is looked for. The crop is emerging from "the grass in general. An encouraging feature is the rather better inquiry for raw wool al Boston, but manufacturers will not apparently do much until the lightweight season opens.
 Advices from the London sales are that
 that market has regained most of the loss shown rer in Wheat in- cluding flour, shipments for the week ag- gregate 3,029,3S bushels, against 2,829 91O last week; 3,40S,073 bushels in the corre- spending week of 1899; 2303, 469 bushels in 1898; 1,97S.s2S bushels in 1897, and 3,O73 7SO bushels in 1896. From July l to date this season wheat exports are S,S7S,12 bushels. Business failures for the week number POP against 221 last week, 174 in this week a year ago. 1SS in 1898; 22O in 1887 and 2SO in 1S96.
 Canadian failures for the week number 26 compared with 22 last week, 19 in this week year ago, IT in 1898 and 2l in 1897. DUN's REVIEW
 New York, July 2o.-R. G. Dun & Co.'S weekly review of trade tomorrow will say: The midsummer vacation has already disposed of the prophets who gave it a week or two," but there are few signs to indicate it's probable duration The com pact of lake ore producers not to sell stand ard Bessemer ore below $55O at lower lake ports this year, with coke hell at S2.5O, much lessens the probability that the mar ket will wait for Bessemer pig to go far below $15 and some increased buying al- ready appears by makers of implements,