The age-herald., 1901-10-12
TRADE REVIEWS
 FOR THE WEEK Reports Show Vigorous Prose- cution of Constructive Work ACTIVITY IN IRON AND STEEL Dry Goods Market Is Quiet, But There Are Better Prices In Cereals and
 the Leather Industry Is
 Prosperous.
ACTIVITY IN IRON AND STEEL

New York. Oct. 11.--R. G. Dun & Co.'S weekly review of trade tomorrow will say:
 Failure of few over-capitalized in- dustrial corporations to pay interest on their stock is no criterion of conditions in manufacturing. although an influence of some weight in the stock market. Re ports from all sections of the country agree that there has seldom, if ever, been such vigorous prosecution of constructive work. Widely divergent lines exhibit sim liar symptoms. Labor is well employed at good wages, and the buying power of the people is more than sufficient to meet the advance in the cost of living of 4.6 per cent over prices prevailing year ago.
 Wholesome activity Is still the feature at iron furnaces and steel mills. While old orders are filled as rapidly as possi- ble, there Is no immediate prospect of catching up with contracts, especially as each day brings new business with deliv- cries running into next year. Idle plants are resuming as rapidly as arrangements can be made an tin plate mills are adopt ing the latest and best processes. Do
 
 branches of this industry that export ders are receiving scanty attention, but there is reason to expect activity in for eign sales, whenever the home trade re- sumes a normal position. Pig production on October l. according to the Iron-Age, was at the rate of 307, 9S2 tons weekly, an increase of S121 tons over the output on September l and, s4.S13 tons more than in October, 1900 Yet furnace stocks steadily decrease, amounting to only 61,593 tons October 1, against 670.541 year ago and supplies in consumers hands are believed to be light.
 Footwear shops are still producing at full capacity, not only in the old estab- lished New England factories. but In this State and at the west and south.
 Prices are unchanged as yet. though manufacturers contemplate the advanc- ing leather market with some uneasiness Hides and leather are both at the top point of the year, while the finished pro- duct sells below the prices of early spring Liberal buying of both sole and upper leather caused a general advance and in many grades the available supply Is light.
 Quiet conditions prevail in the dry goods market, not because of light de- mand. but through the strong views of
 
 as domestic business. At Fall River the print cloth situation is most satisfactory, standard goods for delivery up to Febru- ary are sold at Sc, and the labor situation Is much clearer than it was a week ago. A feature in woolen goods is the large proportion of mill capacity at work on high grades of wool, shoddy ond other adulterants being much ress than last year. Wool is firm and going into con sumption steadily.
 Slightly better relative prices have been established by the leading cereals, wheat making fair gain, while corn lost a, little of it's exceptional strength. There is no evidence of holding back for higher prices in western receipts for two weeks of 15S3S.425 bushels against 12, 7sO, sS3 last year, when more attractive quotations prevailed. Exports from the United States are not equal to recent record breaking figures, but still compare fairly well with earlier years; for the week, flour included. shipments reached 4199,- BPS bushels, against 3.3sS, 439 a year ago, and 4,239,S29 in 1899. Movement of corn is light, receipts at the interior amount ing to only 2,760,2S2 bushels, against A. 627, POO last year and 6.110. 2O9 in the same week two years ago, while exports from the Atlantic coast were but 5S5. 251 bush els. against 2.707,26S in 1900 and 3.1s4,916 two years ago.
 Failures for the week numbered 231 in the United States against 232 last year and 34 in Canada against 32 last year.