The age-herald., 1900-09-01
GENERAL REVIEW
 OF WEEKLY TRADE Reports from Leading Centers
 More favorable. IRON AND STEEL IMPROVE Corn Crop Advices Are Better, But Cotton Reports Indicate Short
 Crop-Best Monthly State-
 ment for 900 Thus Far
IRON AND STEEL IMPROVE

larly increases as the vacation season wanes Reports from leading centers are more favorable and a large aggregate Of business in dry goods, clothing, shoes, hats and hardware are features noted this week. The iron and steel trade, too, notes de- cided gain in tone and volume of sales, though prices, except in few instances, harden but slowly. Clearngs, refecting past business and dormant speculation are very small, but railroad earnings, reflect ing the really heavy actual movement into consumption, maintain their old gains. Relatively the most quiet and least satls- factory conditions rule In the primary tex tile markets of the east, refecting the back ward state of next springs business.
 The corn crop advices are viewed as rather better because of the ending of the late, dry, hot spell at the west.
 Cotton crop conditions are still however, only partially defined, and leading State authoritives are quoted as predicting a short crop. The stsadiness of staple prices is feature in the present quietness of trade. Among the metals, copper is firm on the continued good export demand, lead has been marked higher by the commission, while tin is lower after a little spurt. In the volume of business doing the iron trade compares favorably with recent weeks and months, and the tone of trade is cer- tainly more cheerful than at any time since the break last spring. The history of the slump and rally in the finished material market is, however, being repeated in the pig iron trade. Producers are apparently so anxious to have supply of orders on hand this fall that they are readily selling their production ahead at relatively low quota tions, some of them in fact being at bot tom rates. On the other hand an offer of an order for fifteen thousand tons for next years delivery has been rejected, the claim being that present quotations are too low and will be exceeded in d month or so Export inquiry for all classes of ma- terial Is and has been good Bars, shapes and plates note good domestic and export inquiry, and are firmer at the east and N to $2 higher at Chicago.
 Southern lyon stocks of higher grades are reported oversold at Birmingham.
 To disappointing foreign advices and the backward state of the spring demand for cotton goods are to he attributed the shad- ing in raw cotton this week. The spring season in mems wear woolens has been rather disappointing so far, while the job bins demand for dress goods Is quite fa-
  enough raw wool to cover orders for goods aud prices are weak at the lowest point reached.
 Wheat, including flour, shipments for the week aggregate S24s,31S bushels against 2,965, 16S last week; 3,613443 in the corresponding week of 1S99 3,6S7, ,040 in 1S9s 6,26S, ,247 in 1897 and 3,369, ,S62 in 1896.
 From July 1 to date this season wheat exports are 26.944,761 against 33,122, 337 last season and 29.593592 in 1S9S-s9.
 @rtz fNH fhA rr1AIr kA 8,717s4o against s,4sS.s75 last week, 4,167, ,S6s this week year ago. 16S1.7oO in 1898; 3,1S5,o64 in 1897 and 2,527516 in 1S96
 From July l to date this season corn ex- ports are S2,os1.97s against 4l,290,634 last season and 24537, ,99S in 1sSS-99
 Failures aggregate 166 for the week against 185 last week; 131 a year ago. 1d4 in 1898; 19S in 1897 and 18S in 1898.
 Canadian failures number 29 last week and 25 this week a year ago.
 DUN's REVIEW
 New York, Aug. SIR. G. Dun & Co.'S weekly review of trade tomorrow will say:
 Commercial failures during August were 7S5 in number. with liabilities of s7,32s ,9o3. Manufacturing were 174 for $2, ,945, GOT; trad ing, 519 for 8, ,8e7; and other commercial, 42, for s7s2,629 There were only two bank failures, with liabilities of $146,eOO This is lllS pcSl Liohlhiy ototCmChI ioi lSVV thus far, but shows an increase over the cor responding month in the two preceding years.
 Steel mills in the Cumberland district and some in Indiana have shut down, throw ing many hands out, but part of these will be transferred to other departments of the new Crucible Steel Company. Otherwise the working force Is increasing, and hope is ex- pressed of an adjustment with coal miners. Reading COmDany miners said to be opposed to strike, and some others are in the same position.
 Another important influence of the week has been favorable weather for develop ment of corn over the great part of the surplus corn States, though heavy rains in the spring wheat region have retarded har- vesting. The cotton movement is slow, and late, but weather conditions average bet ter, except in the Carolinas. Price changes are small.
 Steady improvement is seen in the iron market. It is not marked by large advances, but whereVed change occurs It Is in the right direction. It is claimed by some au- thorities that orders currently booked ag gregate more than present production and shipments. Special concessions to secure prospective business are withdrawn and buyers seek contracts for prompt delivery.
 In some lines mills are actively em- poyed with orders for months ahead, and contracts running to June were placed this
 
 yl.40 and $16 is quoted for Bessemer pig at Pttsburg. Western stove manufactur- CTS have been buying freely and more bridge builders signed contracts for struc- tural material. Merchant steel advanced on increasing orders, while domestic pur- chasss of cotton ties were large, although rather late. Copper exports average a mill lion pounds per day and the market is in strong position.
 Iron ore handlers have made trouble at Cleveland and the industry will be em- braced by delay in unloading vessels Fur ther reduction is shown in the output at Lonnellsville coke ovens
 It is not possible to report progress in the boot and shoe industry unless 1t can be considered encouraging that continued inactivity at the shops must in time re- duce stocks to a point where orders will mean resumption of operations. There is general quiet at both cotton and woolen mills. The only manufacturers showing any interest in wool at Boston are those with government contracts that must be filled promptly. Prices of wool are un-