Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1900-06-02

Trade REPORT.
Bradstreets report for last week is as
follows:
Trade is, if anything, quieter and
prices are lower than week ago, while
efforts toward a REIMBURSEMENT of pro-
ductiVe capacity to present conditions
are noted in several lines of industry,
notably iron and steel and lumber. I'M
settled conditions in the cotton trade
and large failure, due mainly to over
selling the bull side of this staple, has
tended to weaken quotations in several
lines of speculative business. Rather
better crop reports and the backward
demand for cotton goods are, of course,
partly responsible for the sharp break,
but statistically the staple remains
! strong. Crop reports as a whole are
good, except for wheat. AS regards the
latter, it may be said that in the north
west some much needed rains have fall
en-, but the claim is made that more
| moisture is needed. Winter wheat
prospects in the southwest remain
good, but foreign inquiry has been on
reduced scale. Practically the entire
corn crop has been planted under favor
able conditions and reports from the
oats crop are likewise good, but slight
shading of quotations, due to backward
export business, is to be reported for
these cereals. Hog products are also
lower and the same is true of cheese,
petroleum, hides and leather, copper
and a number of iron and steel pro-
ducts.
Perhaps the most favorable report of
the week as to dlstributive trade comes
from the grocery list, in which the
sharp advance in refined sugar is DUE
it is claimed, to the enhanced price of
the raw material, and not to any settle
ment of the trade war This has slim
ulated demand in other lines, notably
coffee, which is also higher for the
week. Advices from the dry goods
trade are of backward demand at re-
tail, affecting orders in many lines.
Wool is weaker and manufacturers
are still holding off. The boot and shoe
market is dull, with manufactures firm
but with jobbers asking for lower
prices.
Lumber is on the whole weaker, part
ly owing to the unsettled conditions in
the building trade and partly to the
feeling that prices have been pushed
too high, and this feeling is likewise
true of a number of other lines.
In iron and steel the deadlock still
continues, buyers and sellers being
apart, while the drift of values where
business is actually accomplished is to-
ward lower range. Nominally Besse-
mer pig and steel billets are unchang-
ed, and this is correct as far as large
producers are concerned, but outside
offers are at considerable reductions
from quoted prices. Notable weakness
exists in the prices for iron and steel
bars, for plates and for grades of east
ern foundry iron. Almost the sole sup
porting feature is the strength of ex-
port, but late advices would seem to
indicate that foreign markets may fol-
low those of America toward a lower
range.
Almost alone among iron and steel
products, structural material is firm,
and much is hoped for in the direction
of new business. The weakness in cast
iron pipe is inducing some curtailment
of production, notably at the south.
Wheat (including four) shipments
for the week aggregate 3,698,968 bush
els, against 5,178,422 bushels last week,
3,198,319 bushels in the corresponding
week of 1899, 4,309,133 bushels in 1898,
2,081,326 bushels in 1897, and 2,064,953
bushels in 1896. Since July the ex-
ports of wheat aggregate 1888, 456
bushels, against 208, 469, 109 bushels last
year, and 21O,O86,969 bushels in 1897
SO.
Business failures for the week num-
bered 1877 in the United States, as COM
pared with 155 last week, 1873 in this
week a Tear ago, 231 in 1898, 257 in
1897 and 227 in 1896. In the Dominion
Of Canada business failures for the
week number IS, as compared with "a
last week.
Senator CIark's Daughter WEEDS.
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