The age-herald., 1901-06-15
TONE OF GREATER
 CONFIDENCE FELT
Better Weather and Crop Con-
 ditions Have Helped Trade
LABOR SITUATION INTENDING
Dun's and Bradstreet's Reviews Show Better Trade Conditions Than Prevailed Few Weeks Ago.
 Iron Production Increased.

New York. June 14.-R. G. Dun & Co., s weekly review of trade tomorrow will say:
 Confirmation by the Agricultural Bu- reau of recent private estimates of the wheat crop has given to business a tone of greater confidence. Retail operations, both East and West, are larger and dis tribution of merchandise by the whole sale trade is increasing in dry goods and boots and shoes The labor situation is gradually mending with the appreciation of the fact that in some directions man. ufacturers would be glad of a temporary shut down of works. Pig iron production on June 1 was at the rate of al4.505 tons weekly. according to statistics compiled by the Iron Age. This is about the an- ticipated increase for May and establishes a new high water mark exceeding the previous record of 13.3sO tons. An interest
 ing feature of the situation is the de- crease of furnaces in blast to 252, which is A less than were actively employed February 1, 1900, when the weekly output was 2ss,014 tons Although new orders for pig iron have been light in recent weeks. actual deliveries on other contracts must have reached a heavy total for furnace stocks June 1 were but 4o723 tons, de- crease of 30,565 tons during May. Condi- tions in this industry must be satisfactory if material Is taken faster than 1t can be produced notwithstanding new record of output each month. Prices are easier, Bessemer pig showing a loss of about g a ton compared with the quotation in February last year. when the production was near present figures. This absence of imitation in prices is the best symptom in the market and precludes a possibility of a collapse like last year In finished pro- ducts there is great activity offering to large amount of goods to be delivered July 1. There is noted especial urgency for immediate shipment by consummers of plates bars and structural shapes the activity in building operations showing no dimunition.
 Seasonable weather has aroused the dry goods market. There is not yet such &C., tivity that deals are overwhelmed, but the various divisions of manufacture are fairly occupied and heavy supplies of print cloths at Fall River have decreased. Lower quotations recently established had a helpful effect, but the temperature was more potent for good Forwardings of IOOIWear rom BOStOn nave averaged over 100, 900 cases weekly for some time, and shops are well engaged. Fall contracts are beginning to receive attention. Prices are steady. Retailers are receiving better grades of glazed kid shoes without higher quotations. Local jobbing trade Is very active. Scarcity of heavy sole leather sustains prices but light weights are dull and weak.
 Wheat declined to a more reasonable level with withdrawal of speculative SUD-. port. The government report of condition on June 1 was chiefly responsible. A crop this year equal to the greatest ever hav- vested was indicated by the official state ment and as department figures have gen. erally proved below final yields, there was heavy selling of options with a fall below eighty cents for cash wheat at this city Foreign buying promptly decreased with the prospect of more satisfactory terms. Atlantic exports for the week. flour in cluded, were 1888 bushels, against A. 52l, ,044 bushels the previous week and B. 0S1, 900 the same week last year.
 Corn also lost in value, although crop news was not especially bright Atlantic exports are still unsa tlsfactory amount ing to 2.1S7,725 bushels, against 3206, ,593 bushels a year ago. Notwithstanding somewhat lower quotation for corn the provision market has developed much strength and pork products at the west