The St. Louis Republic., 1901-05-04
GENERAL BUSINESS
IS SATISFACTORY.
sanguine Feeling as to Trade Re
fected in the Activity Of
Stock Speculation.

New York. May 3-Bradstreers to-mor-
row will say:
''The sanguine feeling as to trade and
speculation finds reflection in the enormous
activity of stock speculation, which has at
tracted much money from the usual COM
mercial channels and expanded clearings to
unheard OF totals. Warm. sunny weather
Is helping retail trade in the cities. and is
likewise affordlng the farmers favorable
opportunity to complete crop planting.
General business. the country over, may
be classed as satisfactory. The iron and
steel trades. though reporting somewhat of
lull in the cruder forms, continue to fur
nish the best reports. while the textile In
dustries return the least favorable accounts.
THE textiles are relatively the worst sit
uated Of all the industries The slowness Of
demand for cotton goods on domestic ac-
count has been the cause Of reduction of
print cloths Of s-1sc. which, following the
decline OF &c last week. makes net de-
cline Of 5-1ec in ten days. Curtailment Of
production by the mills limits stocks but
does not help demand. Export business,
however. Is better and there Is scarcity Of
brown cottons reported.
Wool Is quiet. mills buying only to NIL
immediate wants. There Is more movement
at the West and on the Pacific Coast. how
ever. London prices are higher for finer
merino grades and lower for cross breds.
Eastern boot and shoe factories are busy
on summer goods and there Is moro doing
for all account. Shipments are larger than
last week. and the excess In favor Of last
year is being cut down. Export trade in
leather Is limited by relatively higher prices
here than abroad.
Tho crop situation at present Is quite en-
couraging. Warm. sunny weather IL help
Ing corn and cotton, and wheat maintain
ing reports Of damage by insects In tho
Southwest. Cotton crop advices are fairly
good and an increase in acreage Is still fore
shadowed. despite much replantng having
been necessary in Alabama. Georgia and in
Tennessee. where the scarcity Of seed for
Is almost finished in the Northwest and ub-
eral rains in California have helped the sit
uatf0n there. Rains are. however, needed in
Nebraska.
'Iron-trade production naturally appears
to be catching up with demand In the
cruder forms first. Bessemer pig iron Ia 20
lower this week. and the sales have been.
Of some weeks ago, although Birmingham
reports schedules adhered to. The advance
Of 81 per ton in rails, which went into ef-
ders being placed by the railroads, and
Chicago alone reports 25.0oo tons secured.
In finished products consumers are still
urging quick delivery and premiums are Of
fered for the same. particularly by asrt-
cultural implement men, who are eager bid
ders for bars. Export trade has almost
completely stopped, particularly in the
steady. except as to tin. which Is slightly
lower on the week.
Wheat. including flour shipments for the
week aggregate 5,l00.763 bushels. against
4.2s2, ,l29 last week. 4.sS.o22 bushels in the
corresponding week Of 1900. 3.4S4.Ost in 1883
and 2,g23. .775 In lS9S From July to date this
season, wheat exports are 176. GIG. 23S bushels,
against 166.035 .602 last season and 2Ul. .l9S ASS
in 1S9S-99.
Corn exports for the, week aggregate
2,Sf1.8e2 bushels. against 1,3A.6 .65s last week.
3.4l1 Lois In this week year ago. go In
1899 and 6.1S5,9W In 1898. From July to
date this season corn exports are l57, OILS. .k36
bushels, against IT.. .ao3 .075 last season and
A2, 511, ,107 in 1S98-e9.
Failures for the week number 1ss, as
compared with "a last week. 163 In this
week a year ago. 164 In 1888 and $40 In 1888.
Canadian failures In April numbered 10e the
same number as year ago.. but liabilities
per cent from 1900"