The age-herald., 1901-11-30
MORE CHEERFUL FEELING PREVAILS SeaSonabIe Weather Has Given Stimulus to Trade GAR SHORTAGE STILL FELT Iron and Steel Show No Abatement In Demand and Buyers Eager to
 Take Stock at Any
 Price.
GAR SHORTAGE STILL FELL

New York, November 29.-Bradstreets
 tomorrow will say:
 The advent of more reasonable wealth CT has given the apparently only need ed stimulus to retail and holiday de- mand in the North, East and portions of the South. From now on retail rather than wholesale demand will attract most attention. Colder weather and snow would however, benefit northwestern trade and industry though the open weather prevailing has enabled more than ordinarily complete farming pre- parations and extending building activ- ity. Accompanying the experiment in the tone of trade there has been broad ening and deepening In speculation in London food staples, and all in all, there is rather more cheerful feeling pre- vaiiing.
 No sign of the usual seasonable quiet ing down in the demand for iron and steel is apparent and buyers are as eager as ever to obtain supplies. The car shortage and the congestion of freight in the Pittsburg district has been accentuated by the switchmens strike and the trouble there, if anything Is | aggravated. A number of furnaces are banked and several mills are idle for lack of supplies. In finished products bars, sheet and structural material are all active and these has even been an improvement in plates. Foundry iron is 50 cents higher at Chicago and 75 cents to S per ton advance on ruling l fau of pig Iron and billets at Pittsburg The big steel interests are reported having plenty of cars but not enough motive power Is offered. Bradstreet's Halifax correspondent reports large sales of Cape Breton steel in the United States. Light and heavy hardware Is active and the supply of tin has been practically cor nered with the result that prices are cents per pound higher on the week. l Less Is naturally doing in the whole sale distribution of dry goods, but reas- surfing demand Is reported of good vol ume Sales for next spring are not as heavy as expected At the East business in print cloths is slow and there is less doing in brown >cottons for export. but these goods are reported largely sold l ahead of March. The furry in prints is | over and no business in printed goods for future delivery can be placed at the re- cent cut rates. In woolen goods the sit- uation is one of the best for years. Dress l goods are steady, flannels are active and 1 heavy overcoatings are in exceptional demand. The 1901 wool clip promises to be 50 per cent larger than last year and S-sup)jes are heavier than a year ago, but demand, on the other hand. is also bet ter.
 Eastern shoe manufacturers are asking and getting to 21s cents per pair ad- vance over prices made two months ago. Factories are busy on reassorting and printing orders and a number are too busy to take stock. Leather is, still firm at the late advance and betting leather Is 20 per cent higher at Philadelphia. Eastern shoe shipments are very large, those for the week being 25 per cent heav- fer than the corresponding week last year.
 The strength of the coarser grains, corn and oats. has been the sustaining feature to wheat, which might otherwise have receded on large northwestern receipts and heavy increase In the visible sup ply. A resume of the worlds cereal food shows shrinkage this year of 1,506. .00O, 900 bushels as compared with last year.
 Provisions are showing exceptional strength due to shorts covering and re- ported heavy buying by packers. Hog re- ceipts are large but their weights are light, and this accounts for the relatively greater advance in lard
 Business failures in the United States for the week number 1S9, as against 223 last week, 1S4 in the same week last year. 177 in 1899, PIP in 1898 and 150 in 1897.
 Failures in the Dominion of Canada for the week were 26. as against 22 last week. 2S in the same week year ago, 25 in 1899 and 23 in 1898.