The age-herald., 1901-11-09
COLDER WEATHER STIMULATES TRADE Business Situation Presents Many Points of Strength. COLLECTIONS ARE BETTER Strength and Activity Are Displayed In Steel and lron-Furnaces
 Close Due to Shortage
 of Cars.
COLLECTIONS ARE BETTER

New York, November s.-Bradstreet's
 tomorrow win say:
 The trade situation presents many
 points of strength and few of weakness.
 Colder weather throughout the country
 has stimulated retail trade in heavy
 clothing. shoes, groceries and rubber goods. and -his has already been re- hected in an improved recorder demand from western and southern obers. Col 1 lections, too. are more satisfactory. Coun- | try merchants are reported in good 1 financial shape. and one result of this
 is found in the rather better supply and
 eaeler tone of money. Holding of cotton
 Is reported from the south. this being aid ed by the strength of the business com munity. Genei ally higher prices have been made for cereals. Brsdstreet's fig ures for the worlds visible supply favor
 the bears. but foreign cables are better | and export demand has teen improved both for wheat and corn, the strength of
 these being shered in by four. the lfso- duction of which at Minneapolis and otn- CT centers Is very heavy, and by oats The price situation is one of steadiness.
 though some hesitation was shown dur ing October.
 While nearly all industries are active
 strength and activity has been displayed l In iron and $ T. Production as yet seems to be running behind consump- tion. The shortage of cars in an addi- tiopal obstructive feature just at pres ent, and the effect upon the coke trade has been so marked as to cause the shut down of twenty blast furnaces in the Pittsburg district. Pig iron Is in good de- me nd east and west. Railway material is very active at Chicago and 5000 tons of steel rails have been ordered by vest err roads this week, Iron bars and nails display weakness and are lower. Plate specifications are also reported being held back At Pittsburg there is a heavy de- msnd for Bespemer iron and sales of 15,G00 tons of this material and of 20.000 tons of foundry Iron are reported with good premiums for prompt delivery. Forge ircn Is 50 cents up. Structural ma terial is also active, sales at Pittsburg for the week aggregating 1200O tons. Some iriegul arity Is noted in the mar ket for cotton goods ewing to the weak ness of raw noterial. the result of large estimates.
 The Fall River wage situation has been clarified by reduction in wages made by the manufacturer who some four weeks ago advanced them. Print cloths are firm for prompt delivery at SIS cents but some sales have been made for Jan uary delivery at cents; wool goods ma chinery is actively employed. The mar kets have been rather firmer with an up- | ward tendency. Supplies are smaller and the position is one of considerable strength. The leather trade is rather quieter than of late. Shoe factories at the east are now finishing up their winter orders preparatory to turning machinery on spring goods No sign of weakness is to be noted, however. in prices. Prices are still the key of the situation and they are firm and unchanged Short ship ments continue largely in excess of a year ago.
 previous to the cold weather. It has lost none of it's strength since, and the only source of complaint is the small stocks in dealers hands and the trouble growing out of the scarcity of cars.
 Raw sugar is low in sympathy with the continued bearish feeling here and abroad and refined is 10 points lower all around Coffee Is slightly higher on smaller crop estimates.
 Wheat, including flour exports for the week aggregate 5,46S,e45 bushels. against G. 672. SSS bushels last week.
 Corn exports aggregate 7oS.2S4 bushels as against 15e bushels last week and B. 32S7,627 bushels last year. July 1 to date corn exports are 17447,sA. against | 69, 4eS 3i4 bushels last season.
 Failures for the week in the United States aggregate 191. as aginst 172 last week, 161 in this week a year ago. 1S2 in 1890 and 1S7 in 1898.
 Canadian failures for the week num- Der 35 as against F last week and last year; 23 in 1899 and 30 in 1898.