Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-03-31
REVIEW OF TRADE.
A QUIET WEEK IN DIsTRIBUTIvE
TRADE,

(By Telegraph to Virginian-Pilot.)
New York, March 3o.-Bradstreets
to- morrow will say:
1t has been a quiet week in distribu-
tive trade, except at some few Western
centres, this being especially true of
the dry goods business. Wholesale
trade in this line has been generally
completed and. pending the effect of
spring demand upon the retail trade,
the markets are in a waiting stage.
The feature in prices has been the
strength manifested by agricultural
products and provisions. The adj
vances in the latter. in fact, are re-
garded as foreshadowing an upward
movement in hog products, long pre-
dicted, but only partially realized. Nj
merous advances in wages have still
further advanced the purchasing pow
or OF the community. Disquieting adj
vices as to international complications
and less favorable French crop reports
have furnished the basis of a slight
upward movement in wheat Winter
wheat crop advices have been, on the
whole. good. and have acted as a bal
ance to the stories of French damage.
Corn has been strong in sympathy with
wheat, and some renewal of foreign
buying, aided by unsatisfactory adj
vices as to quality of new arrivals.
Alone OF the agricultural staples. cot
ton has weakened during the week.
not because of any impairment of the
statistical position, which. indeed, re-
mains very strong, but really because
some speculative holders have gotten
tired and have given ear to reports of
dulncss in the cotton goods demand.
New business in this latter line is un
doubtedly quiet, but most of the mills
are heavily sold ahead, and finished
products have not advanced proper
tionately as much as the cruder forms.
Wool has been more active, but con-
siderable business has been done at
concessions. The Generalization in the
sugar business is clearly confined to
the refining branch because. while quo
tations of the finished product have
been lowered, the heavy refiners have
been large buyers, and raw sugar has
actually advanced, the result being a
still further shrnkage in the margin
of profit In refining.
Little that 10 new is observable in
the iron and steel trade. New business
is of a hand to mouth character and
this might be regarded as depressing
feature were it not for the fact that
producers are so heavily sold ahead.
Bessemer pig iron Is still as strong as
is the foundry grades are weak. but the
increase III tuTNucc SlOCRS vi tuc
ter is claimed TO balance by the reduc-
ton of manufacturers supplies.
The recent advance in leather has
tended to restrict new business, but
adviccs from the boot and shoe indus
try are on the whole favorable. There
has been some accumulation of stocks
of lumber. and talk of reproduction
i'm some States of the South. but price
weakness is not as vet notable. Manu-
facturers and iohbers in carpets and
upholstery report heavy seasons bus
mess booked
Wheat including -four shipments for
the week. aggregate 2.962.349 bushels.
against 1908 i95 last week. 3.9SS,23S in
the corresponding week of 1899. 1850
Ca in 1898. 2.46i,6i5 in 1897 and 1.G93. 927
bushels in 1895. Since July l this sea :
son the exports of wheat aggregate
1i7. 172. $50 bushels against 1S4 900, 740 last
year anu $50 O67552 in lS97-9S
Corn exports for the week aggregate
3.lo3.G3S against 5,i2S.SiS last week.
2.i11. 443 bushels in this week year
ago. 4507.722 in 1898. 4.9TO.127 in 1897
and 2.1995S4 in 1896.
Since July this season corn exports
aggregate l55.76l,6 bushels against
1877 025 durir" The same period n
year ago and tS5,55l Gao in iS97-9S
Business failures in the United States
FOR the week number LIS as compared
with 1872 last week 100 i'm this week n
year ago. 226 in 1895. 2l2 in 1897 and 236
in 1896
Business failures In the Dominion OF
Canada for the week number 25, as
against % last week, SO In this week q
wear ago. SO in 1898. 9S in 1897 and IS In