The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-04-07
SPRING TRADE OUTLOOK
is WHOLLY FAVORABLE.
NEARLY ALL REPORT I'M
PROVED DISTRIBUTION.
Bradstreets Regard Seasonable
Weather Responsible for the
Brighter Situation.

New York, April S.-Bradstreet's to-mor-
row will say: Favorable features continue
in the majority in the general trade situa-
ton. The hopes for the advent of season
able spring weather have been realized
aud nearly all markets report an improved
distribution at retail. This is really the Key
OF the general merchandise situation.
The Industrial situation is a rather spotted
one. April /. instead OF May !, seems to
have been fixed upon as the cate for repre-,
senting new demand as to wages ana
hours. While many thousand men are III
rectiv or indirectly involved in the ChicaS ,
building trade strike. aud several thoTsihd
arr. out in the coal industry. IN the Pits
burg region. most Of inc ou rained their
demands. and the maChinists' strike at en-
tago. which WAS regarded as threatening
to the entire iron and sr rsii ra ,laTs"'' ""7
Higher Prices Rule.
The price situation, too, is encourasing;
farm products easily leading IN tle up"alu
movement. Wheat crop adNices are on tns
whole, favorable. except from the Centrai
west. sympathy is shown with corn. which.
in turn, has been influenced by the steady
advance in hog products ana py lhS h,omi
smal,ness of reserves IN cribs ana III store.
Nothing like the speculative interest III
corn has been seen for some years pasl.
and the price now is little below 80 cents at
New York. Hog products are very strong
statisticaIIy. Pork Is ~ per cent and lard
is - per cent higher than Il year ago.
Activity in Cotton.
Cotton has developed renewed speculative
interest this week. and Il slight upward
win. has occurred. as the result Of in
creased speculative attention "o'h'hs
along previously mentioned iihes.
Cotton goods are seasohahiy Iut..er 4 ~
first hands. hut II fair iobbins business Is
doing and retail distribution is encouraging.
Wool is on the whole weaker, but reports
from thu WOODEN goods branch are qnlte
favorable. Cancellations reported afe tiie
smallest there is record OF.
Lumber and steel.
Lumber has shown some Weakness u
widely separated markets this week.
nointinr To- a not altogether satisfactory
outlook in the building trades. wnether be-
cause OF heavy advances in prices or OF ur.
settled labor conditions. The iron and steel
situation shows some effects OF the recent
missionary work In aid of lower prices, but
results as yet are rather in the shape OF
unsettled feeling than OF actually lower
quotations. Bessene' pig Is actuaiiE as
pittsburg and from BirminshaIn as 10 me
strength in the cruder forms. steel rail5
are firm and quite active particularly az
the West and whatever weakness Is noted
Is in some few lines of finished steel and
in the low grades of foundry PIG IRON. he-
cent advances in wages ana the strong con-
ditions i'll the bituminouS coal ana ore mar
ke;s certainly point to no great ShriikaSe
in prices. notwithstanding. the Tact that
current demand is OF a mana 10 mouth
character and buyers are stu waiting FOR
a break. In addition export inquiry Is per-
sistent and from AL parts OF the eartn.
The better tone OF the n9ot SUI aHos
industry Is reflected in steady prices for
leather and some advances in hides. CoDuer
is stronger. or reported Increased export
demand. and lead is steady. while I'm Is
Farm Products.
Eutter. of course. reflects the advancing
season and more liberal deliveries. while
the slight shading in petToleum Is hafdty