The age-herald., 1901-01-19
In Most Directions Condition of
 Business Has Improved
IRON AND STEEL STEADIER
Many Small Orders Are Placed and Mills Are We'll Occupied on Old Business That Will Take
 Months to Complete.

New York, January 1&-R. G. Dunn & Co.'S weekly review of trade tomorrow will say:
 In most directions the condition of gem eral business has improved slightly this week. Prices of staple commodities are steady, as are most manufactured goods Orders to manufacturers are sustained In volume and that pronounced easy money in the interior is still stimulating business is shown by bank exchanges at leading cities outside New York, for the week 1L2 per cent larger than in 1900 and 17.S per cent above 1899
 At New York the record is again of 77.3 per cent over 1900 and 37S per cent over 1899. Retail trade has not declined as much as usual since the holidays. Textiles show more activity. A small but steady im- provement on the demand has appeared and in the cotton goods division it is the more the raw material Sellers of both staple and fancy cottons are able to maintain position of independence
 Iron and Steel.
 Steadiness is the chief characteristic of the iron and steel industry The past week has brought on new developments of strk- ing importance and quotations are un- changed There is notable lack of new contracts covering large operations, bur many shall orders are placed and mills are we'll occupied on old business that In most cases will take months to complete, even If nothing further offers. On this account there is no urgency about securing orders and no concerns are made by leading con- cerns Export inquiries are fewer, but manufacturers exhibit no concern this point. Work is so vigorously presented al the furnaces that demand for future in creases and coke production in the Con- nellsville region expands. Coal also moves more freely at Pittsburg, delayed ship shipments being hurried forward with the aid of high water. There is still some un- certainty regarding the proposed tube and sheet plants and action by the Carnegie Company Is awaited with interest.
 Another moderate increase occurred in the sales of wool at the three chief Eastern markets, raising the total for three weeks 10,3S2 300 pounds. There Is sttE heavy loss compared with preceding years. for in the same period last year the total was 14,92OS00 pounds and 16,495,S00 pounds two years ago, 22,332,270 pounds in 1898 and 19,- SS6,200 pounds in 1897.
 Manufacturers stock are generally con sidered low, nevertheless they buy only for immediate needs and continue to take mainly the cheaper grades. The raw ma terial for the other leading textile indus tries has been in less satisfactory position, owing to the depression in the yarn mar ket, which caused the association to recom- mend reduction in output by one half. Large estimates of the cotton crop also as- sisted in the decline.
 Boot and shoe shops are, as a rule, we'll occupied, but it is noticed that business is unequally distributed. Statesmen furnish moderate orders from the West and South, althOuQh the mid growth of fan ing at interior points has exerted percep- tible influence on New England sales. Sales of leather are of only moderate volume and much below expectations of holders with no speculative operations. Supplies of hemlock sole are stin limited and scarcity of union backs caused a further advance in quotations.
 Failures for the week were 325 in the United tSates against PAP last year, and 43 in Canada against 40 last year.