The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-04-06
ARE
UNUSUALLY PROMPT.
Trade Maintains It's Even Course
With More Points of Gain Than
Loss-Building Lively.

New York, April 5-Dun's weekly review
of trade Saturday will say:
while the general business world has
looked with amazement at the performance
of the stock market, trade has maintained
its even course, and there are many more
points of gain than of loss. with even a
slightly steadier tone In the dry goods mar
ket. There some sellers have Withdrawn
at recent prices. but buying is small as yet.
Collections in all lines are unusually
prompt, and in the building trades contracts
nave been entered into sufficient to furnish
a decided impetus in allied lines during the
spring season.
mo sign of lessening demand is percep-
tible in any branch OF the iron and steel
Industry. Mills are accepting contracts for
the closing months of the year, ard there
is every indication that 1901 will surpass
all records In the quantity Of pig iron con-
sumed by manufacturers
Though capacity has been wonderfully
enlarged during the past five months, there
are still many extensions and new plants
contemplated. 1t Is also probable that the
customary summer repairs of furnaces and
mills will be accomplished within j shorter
period than usual. as contracts call for
heavy deliveries right through the season.
~Permanence OF prosperity in this industry is
becoming more certain as there Is less evil
derce of inflated prices. Regular quota
.'SAtS nav LII eA% : SN1SBl " Il L alu
foundry pig iron, although all sorts of pre-
miums are paid where prompt shipment is
required. Although fewer ovens are active
In the Connellsville region than a year ago,
the output is much larger. and about 3,OO,-
COO tons We're made during the quarter.
shipments of boots and shoes from
ReeSs Nc sasaHn reaching aafaGas'" sii.ass sne ca .as.
against 92.g75 in the previous week. and
500! q year ago; Quotations are steady.
but 1t Is feared that the recent declines in
leather and hides will make II plsgfhia for
the smaller shoe manufacturers to cut
prices when they are compelled to seek
years business. despite the fact that these
lines We're considered less popular.
made the average of 100 grades OF wool
1888 cents. a decline of nearly a cent since
March L and ~ cents compared with
however. the market has steadied. and
there is much more trading. Moderate
buying Is done by worsted mills.
After declining within a sixteenth of 4
recover half a cent: The ove:sold condi-
ton of the speculative market was chiefly
support by statements of unfavorable
planting conditions. Supplies We're against
any pronounced rise In price, however: and
aggressive manipulation Of corn forced
prices to an unreasonable point. from which
the fall was severe. and wheat also weak
SiASb ditiOhSAi AVN Nhe kAtltItlC
continued liberal. Pork products did
show the usual sympathy with corn
when it reacted. for Chicago operators alb
sOrhed offerings readily.
Commercial failures in the first quarter
of 1901 were 1885 in number and SSH o3. SIS
in amo,nt of defaulted liabilities, OF which
10 were in manufacturing for $12, 5O4, 222.
and 2.4ss in trading for $l4,S2, SOC, with 157
not properly included in either
class, that owed A,6i6. 35S. Banking defaults
numbered twenty-one,. with liabilities Of So
4i1.3S9. While exceeding the same three
months Of last year in number. failures
were much smaller in amount. commercial
and financial inao!vencies, together showing
n decrease OF SCI, 532, $50. Only two years of
last twenty made a better showing,
either in aggregate or average Indebtedness.
s2d.7t to each firm in business and sl.O9 to
each $1,GG0 Of solvent payments through
iearing-housss are records that were sur
hut once In two decades.
For the month of March total liabilities |
were much smaller than in the correspond
|ng month of any year since monthly state
were first published. These figures
indicate most undeniably that the new CEN
tury has opened with business on no un-
foundation"