The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-04-18
BradStreet'S Review
of Trade for the Week.
Backward Spring Weather
Retarded Distribution.

New York, April l3 --Bradstreet's
tomorrow will say Backward spring
weather conditions have figured con.
siderably in distributive trade reports
this week. and, in connection with
some weakness in prices of leading
staples, have impaired an appear.
arce of irregularity to the general
situation. Another one of those
downward swings in the prices of
agricultural staples ia exhibited this
week in slightly lowered prices for
the cereals. partly because of the
oearlsh position of immediate sup
plies and partly because of the better
than expected government crop re.
port, which is taken to indicate q
possible winter wheat yield in excess
OF all records. The crop outlook as
. whole favors the expectation of
large yields of wheat, corn and cot
ton: Corn and oats have sympathized
with the reaction in pork products.
which reaction, however, has not
been universal, az shown by the fact
that lard is at the highest point
reached on the present boom. Cotton
exports in March we're three times
those Of q year ago in value and for
seven months are per cent greater
in value, while % per cent smaller iu
quantity.
Evidences accumulate that active
missionary work in favor of lower
prices for iron and steel is at last
bearing fruit. Pig iron is no lower
and stocks az q whole are claimed to
be no larger than q month ago. but
steel products have weakened notice
ably during the week, billets noting
the sharpest decline. with correspond.
lng decreases in some other products.
The other metals show little change
on the week. copper being in con-
tinued good demand aud firm, while
tin is specuIstiveIy weaker and lead
10 strong at previous prices The
hardware trade returns good reports
az Q whole. relatively best advices
coming from western dissributive
centres
A slight upward swing in cotton is
TO- be noted this week and southern
mills have officially advanced prices.
On the other hand, while the mills
are active on old orders new bust
ness is reported of smaller volume
Some more inquiry is noted in raw
wool, without, however, affecting
values appreciably. The strength Of
raw sugar is reflection chiefly of
the fact that considerable shortage
10 looked for in the supplies of cane
sugar, not only In Cuba. but in the
far east. The margin between raw
and refined allows of no profit at
present quotations. Anthracite coal
is rather weak at the decline shown
from the winter list price, but btu
minous is strong and active, particu-
larly on foreign account
Wheat. including -four, shipments
for the week aggregate 1896 653
bushels, against 1886, 1853 bushels
last week, l,983.6l9 bushels in the
corresponding week of 1899; 4,425..
3O2 bushels in 1898; 1.344 ,O12
bushels in 1897 and 2,Ol7,579 bush.
els in 1895 Since July l this sea
son the exports of wheat aggregate
l5S. 900. .296 bushels against 100, S29,
l59 bushels last year and 1873 S,27l, $50
bushels in l897-98 Corn exports
tor the week aggregated 2,799 ,443
bushels against 4.361 ,59l bushels
last week. 2.666.125 bushels in this
week year ago. 66l,l94
bushels in 1893 2.S2s,4s5 bushels
in 1897 and l.074.542 bushels iu
1896. Since July this season corn
exports aggregate l62, ,922, ,649 bush.
els against 1873. 955, 5,s04 bushels dur
ing the same period a year ago and
143.76 843 bushels in 1S97-98
Business failures for the week
number 152 as compared with 1872 in
the United States last week, 243 in
this week a year ago and 2l5 in
1898; 1876 in 1897 aud PA in 1896.
Failures in the Diminion of Canada
for the week number IS az compared
with rs last week and in this week q
year ago, ~ in 1898, 80 iu 1897 and
81 in 1896.