The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-05
ghe aatihita Daily gaele Saturday g0rnin aau 1000

| Increased conservatism In the making OF
ventures and disposition 70 digest busi-
| ness already arranged for before making
| new engagements. The basic conditions
| Of general business, such as the outlook
for the crops, the export demand and the
| increased purchasing power of the peo-
pie at large have not been much reduced
but. on the contrary, actually improved.
seems evident from the advices received
this week. Business at wholesale is
| relatively ouieter, which is not unusual
at this period, but more than ordinarily
marked attention is being concentrated
upon the retail demand, which is, of
course, relied upon as q measure of pro-
gress of actual consumption. Touching
this particular demand. II may be stated
that relatively best reports come from
the Pacific coast and from the northwest
Good crop prospects and the weakness
in provisions. charged partly to increas-
ed receipts of hogs, but also attributed
to bear operations by packers, have ex-
perienced a depressing effect upon corn
and TO a less extent upon wheat. The
weakness of print cloths is confined as
yet to outside manufacturers quotations
the pool prices being maintained IN
changed. o effects from this source or the
dullness at wholesale in cotton goods is
yet reflected in the market for the raw
material, which remains strong. owing
partly TO the reduced movement OF the
crop movement, the April report being Il
per cent smaller than a year ago, and
partly to the expected small surplus TO
be carried over to next season. The shoe
and leather trade at the east is notably
quiet Jobbers are apparently expecting
a break, but manufacturers remain firm.
Restricted supplies of raw sugar have in
duced a slight marking up of quotations
this week but no change of refined prices
is reported.
The situation in iron and steel Is still a
mixed one o dimunition OF strength of
pig iron IS reported at such centers as
Birmingham and Pittsburg, and predic-
tons are that the ruling price for Bes-
semer pig will not be shaded during the
last half of the year. Some cutting of
pig iron prices is reported at the west,
however. The report from Birmingham
is a most encouraging one, due mainly
TO the re-awakened export inquiry here
tofore noted. Scotch buyers are reported
to have taken %. tons this week and
an order for 10000 tons for Germany, for
delivery next year, Is under negotiations
with the differences between buyer and
seller so small that expectations favor
satisfactory outcome. Structural ma
terial remains as strong as heretofore,
favorable features being the placing of
very large order for bridge material for
do T1rIfI
ed exceptionally good BiIlets are I'M
questionably lower. but 1t is doubtful if
much business is being done at the ex-
IRENE low quotations given by some
authorities.
Flour shipments this week are very
large. Wheat, including -four. shipments
for the week aggregate 4,537, O22 bushels,
against 1868, s62 bushels last week, 1884,
0S1 in the same week of 1899: 2,92s. IT'S
bushels in 1898; 1,79s, 800 bushels in 1897 and
1.SS2,71S bushels in 1896. Corn exports for
the week aggregate 3,411.015 bushels,
against 3,620,664 bushels last week. I2,s47,-
go bushels in this week. year ago;
3, 127. 7S1 bushels in 1897 and 1881, 756 bush
els in 1896.
For the week failures number in the
last week, 164 in this week a year ago.
24O in 1898, 22S in 1887 and z67 In 1896 Fail
ures for April in the Dominion of Can
ada were fewer than in April year ago
but liabilities were nearly Is per cent |
heavier.
APRIL'S FAILURE FIGURES.
New York, May 4.-Bradstreet's review |
Of the failures for the month of April |
will say: Business failures in April were |
not only fewer than in any correspond |
Ing month for a number of years past, |
but they were 10 per cent smaller than, in |
March, and were. in fact, the ligntzst re- |
corded in any month since September. |
asst year, when business embarrass- |
ments and liabilities were the smallest 1e- |
ported in any single month for at east |
seven years past. Liabilities showed e, On |
4 larger shrinkage from the preceding |
month of March than did failures them |
selves, the decrease being nearly q per |
cent, but. compared with April a year /
ago, the falling of is only a fractional !
1ne, this being due mainly 70 the occur /
renee of a few large failures n New /
York iCty and Boston, none Of which. |
however, was significant of any particu- |
ar change or tendency in the general |
course of business. Failures in April, |
800, number 706; assets $685.. J62; liabiH- |
les S7214,76. When comparisons are |
made with the corresponding month N
previous years, the really favoraols eide
IAN best be appreciated. For instance. |
he liabilities in April 1899 were o9ly
about one-half what they were in 1895,
Ss6 or 1885. and werel ess than one-ffth
Is large as they were in April OF the
'anic year. 1893. An even greater proper
tomato decline is shown in The volume Of /
lssets this being a feltI.e freIuei.tlv
,alling for attention Of late and one not
.ntirely favorable. as may I.e judged by /
he fact that the perc sat5ga of assets to
or, in other words. the savage
4 April, 1862 was only 6 per cert.
whereas year ago l. wcs IS DIR cent,
md in April, 1886. was f,4'ly % per cent.
FURNACES FULL OF COPPER
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