The age-herald., 1900-08-25
GENERAL REVIEW
 OF WEEKLY TRADE
Commercial Situation Has an IT,
 regular Appearance.
IRON TRADE IS IMPROVED
There is a Perceptible Improvement in the Jobbing Demand at Leading Western Market - Prices
 Are Quite Steady

New York, August A.-Bradstreets to- morrow will say:
 Contrary trade currents still give an ap- pearance of irregularity to the entire sit uation, but good and unfavorable influ- ences conspire to bring about a sort of balance which accords well with the weather conditions and the particular sea- son of the year. If clearing returns are to be regarded, the tide of trade was about at it's ebb last week, but it Is well known that clearings rarely, except in times of speculative excitement, reflect present conditions
 In the iron trade the corner has appa- rently been turned for the better, and there is a perciptible improvement in the jobbing demand at leading western mar kets. Prices, too, are steady, the few de- creases noted being largely due to i'm proved crop conditions, particularly of corn and cotton.
 Despite the reports which have pictured the corn crop as heavily shortened by hot winds, the reports to Bradstreets from Nebraska, Kansas City ard St. Louis are, as a whole, quite encouraging. The low cred price of cotton is largely due to the arrival of needed rains In the south At 
 lantic States.
 In the list of unfavorable features holi- day quiet in many lines is notable at the large Eastern centers, although some inn provement in dry goods jobbing is re- ported at some points. In the textile trade quiet in cotton goods is still notable and the spring season for mems wear woolens drags perceptibly. Raw wool is quiet, and 4I, f,II orders actually booked. Raw cotton is at a deadlock, crop uncertainties and ex- tremely snall supplies being balanced by the less favorable outlook for the manu- factured goods.
 Reports are common of a falling off in traffic in leading Eastern roads, but cer- tainly nothing of this is reflected in the gross earnings of leading railroads for the second week of August.
 All in all, the trade situation may be said to lack sympathy, but there is little ap- pearanoe of weakness and hopefulness as to the fall trade outlook is expressed in spite of its presumably being a year of election excitement. Western trade advices are rela- lively most optimistic, Chicago reporting a big week in dry goods and liberal business in clothing. hats and shoes, though buyers selections are made with care. More is do- ing in shoe leather and hides are firm. St. Louis reports that the Missouri corn crop will be an average one, and that of Illinois very large.
 Wheat including flour shipments, for the past week, aggregate 2.295,16S bushels, against 3113.641 bushels last week. 3,S43, ,S25 in the corresponding week of 1899; 3,563, i76 in 1898; 5l49,653 in 1897, and 3,2S1 S45 in 1896.
 From July 1 to date this season wheat exports are ,S2696, AS, against 295Cs,9S4 last season, and 25 906,55 in 1S9S-99. Corn exports for the week aggregate B. ,275 bushels, against S.017oS9 last week; 4,596,097 in this week year ago; 2,6Gi, 933 in 1898; 26S2, 452 in 1884, and 2,6l0,S09 in 1896 Business failures in the United States for the week are reported to aggregate 135, against 16S last week; 154 in this week year ago; 172 in 1898; 210 in 1897, and were about half what they were in this week four years ago.
 In Canada for the week they number 29, against 24 last week; 23 year ago; 27 in 1885, g in 1897, and 31 in 1896.