Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1900-04-14
Report of Trade.

Favorable features continue in the
majority in the general trade situation.
The hopes for the advent of seasonable
spring weather have been realized and
nearly all markets report an improved
distribution at retail. This, as ex-
planned heretofore, was really the key
to the general merchandise situation.
The industrial situation is a rather
spotted one. April l, instead of May
/, seems to have been fixed upon as a
date for presenting new demands as to
wages and hours. Many thousands of
men are directly or indirectly involved
in the Chicago building trades strike
and several thousands are out in the
coal industry in the Pittsburg region,
most of the building trade strikers in
other cities have gained their demands
and the machinists' strike at Chicago,
which was regarded as threatening to
the entire iron and steel industry, has
been called off pending arbitration. The
price situation, too, Is encouraging,
farm products easily leading in the up
ward movement.
w uChl SlOP nuflSSo dlO Oll IAC NAOlC
favorable except from the central west.
Sympathy is shown with corn, which
in turn has been influenced by the stea-
dy advance in hog products and by the
known smallness of reserves in cribs
and in store. Nothing like the specula-
tive interests in corn has been seen for
some years past and the price now is
little below so cents at New York. Hog
products are very strong statistically.
Pork is 80 per cent and lard is rs per
cent higher than a year ago. Another
product of the farm, cotton, has de-
veloped renewed speculative interest
this week and a slight upward swing
has occurred as the result of increased
speculative attention working along
previously mentioned lines. Cotton
goods are seasonably quiet at first hand
but fair jobbing business is doing;
the retail distribution is encouraging.
Steel rails are firm and quite active,
weakness is noted is in some few lines
of finished steel and in the low grades
of foundry pig iron.
Recent advances in wages and the
strong conditions in the bituminous
coal and ore markets certainly point to
no great shrinkage in prices, notwith-
standing the fact that current demand
Is of a hand-to-mouth character and
buyers are still waiting for a break.
In addition expert inquiry is persistent
and from all parts of the earth.
The better tone of the boot and shoe
industry is lead by steady prices in
leather and some advances in hides.
Copper and lead are steady, while tin
is slightly lower as a result of specula-
ton.
Butter of course reflects the advanc-
ing season and more liberal deliveries
while the slight shading in petroleum
is hardly significant.
Wheat including f1our) shipments
for the week aggregate 3,386,963 BUSH
els, against 2,962,349 bushels last week,
3,384S00 bushels in the corresponding
week of 1899, 3,278,726 bushels in 1898,
2,036, 700 bushels in 1897, and 1,764,S05
bushels in 1896. Since July this sea-
son the exports of wheat aggregated
| ISL ,009,6 43 bushels, against 188,345, 545
bushels last year, and 1873, S46,278 bush
els in 1S97-98.
Corn exports for the week aggregate
4,361,591 bushels, against 3,193, 638
bushels last week, 3,724,653 bushels in
this week year ago, 1857 900 bushels
in 1898, 4645,585 bushels in 1897 and
1891, 846 bushels in 1896. Since July
| this season corn exports aggregate
100, 1882 bushels, against 131, 1865
bushels during the same period year
ago, and 139, 580,649 bushels in 1898
Business failures in the United
States for the week number i82, as
compared with 178 last week, 100 in
this week year ago, 220 in 1898, 232
in 1897 and 231 in 1896. Business fail
ures in the Dominion of Canada for the
week number 25, the same number as
last week and compared with 81 in this
week year ago, SO in 1898, 80 in 1897
and 80 in 1896.
For the first quarter of the year fail
ures are fewer in number than in 1899
and liabilities are Z per cent. smaller
General John Bidweu TX Dead.
Chico, Cal, April G-General John b.
Bidwell the prohibition candidate for
president in 1892, died at his home near
this city from heart failure. General Bid
well was a pioneer of lS4l, and the