Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-02-28

r. G. Dun & Co. 8 Review says:
Cuisine in the East and particularly
along the North Atlantic coast, has
been catching up with the rest of the
country little this week, SO that in
the few lines where complaint has been
heard locally of late the tone ia better.
This comes from the working of of
retail stocks which owners feared would
have to be carried over until next sea
son. In builders hardware the buying
has been notably better, ard the dis
tribution in the grocery jobbing trade
has been given considerable stimulus
Even the laggard dry goods market has
shown good measure of Improvement,
though in cotton goods there is still
much to be desired, for the larger buy
ing has not brought any improvement
in general tone and in some directions
the market is slower than week ago.
From the interior advices are almost
uniformly favorable, with very heavy
movement of general merchandise and
farm implements over the Northwestern
railroads. Earnings of the railroads of
the country for the first half of Febru-
AIRY thus far reported show gain Of 4. 5
per cent over last year, with an increase
of "a. s per cent over 1890. Bank clear
ings at New York for the week are ~
one per cent heavier than last year. and
So. ? per cent larger thap in 1899; while
at the leading cities outside New York
81. 8 per cent over 1900 and 20. I per cent
over 1899. Activity grows more pro.
nounced in wool, sales at the three chief
Eastern markets aggregating 1928, 800
pounds for the last week, against
6,972, 900 in the previous week, and
2, 1893, 400 a month ago. Although
transactions are heavier than at any
time in over year, the situation is far
from satisfactory, rs each week brings
lower level of prices.
Bradstreet's saws: "Trade rs whole
has shown further expansion this week
despite severe weather tending to check
trade at some Northern and Western
markets and in the face Of very unsatis-
factory conditions in the cotton manu-
featuring trade, brought about by dull
ness in cotton goods at first hands. The
position Of retailers with large stocks
has been really improved by the con-
tinued cold weather. Foremost among
the lines noting Improvement this week
is the dry goods trade, which is re-
ported active on sErlng account by job
bers. The boot and shoe industry has
likewise continued in satisfactory
shape and some varieties of leather re-
feet recent activity in advances at
Eastern markets. Iron and steel in the
ciuder forms have been very strong at
central and Eastern markets, and con-
siderable advances are reported in pig
iron and steel billets. The strength of
building materials of all kinds, particu-
larly of white and yellow pine and
builders hardware. has been notable,
and from many cities comes the report
that large amount of building will
be done the coming spring. Coffee
seems to have borne out the predictions
in these columns some weeks ago, and
has still further strengthened on better
consumptive demanded. Tea has met
with better sale. as the prospects for
any immediate change in tho present
tariff by Congress become less probable.
lin is higher, in sympathy with specu-
lative activity abroad. Business fail
ures for the week number 2l9, as against
226 last week, 1863 IN. this week a year
ago, go in 1899, 1873 in 1893 and 25S in
1897. In general industry it is to be
noted that the winter now passing has
been one of the quietest and most salts
factory ever reported. But the approach
OF spring brings talk of renewal of
strike troubles in the coal trade. With
an absence of labor troubles in the
building trades much is to be hoped
for the present year Weather condi-
tions have been unusually favorable TO
the railways this week, and returns for
the second week of February are likely
to be even better than those for the
first week, which were GA per cent
better than year ago. Final returns
of the gross and net railway earnings
of 1900 are now available, and the total
of the gross returns on l42 roads report
lug to Bradstreet's was 81, 3O5, 404, l76.
while net receipts aggregated s419,-
SAG, gains of respectively 1912 per