The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-06
DUN's REPORT ON TRADE.
The steel and Iron Demands show
No Sign of Decrease.

NEW YORK, April 6.-Dun's weekly re-
view of trade today says:
While the general business world has
looked with Amusement at the perform
ance OF the stock market, trade has main
tanned its even course and there are many
more points OF gain than of loss. with
even q slightly steadier tone in the dry
goods market There some sellers have
Withdraw n offers at recent low prices,
though buying is small as yet.
Collections IN all lines are unusually
prompt. and in the building trades con-
tracts have been entered into sufficient
to furnish a decided impetus in allied
lines during the spring season Dun's
index number of the average prices Of
! commodities, with quantities taken &C
| cording TO the per capita consumption.
was $9s9.l0 on April !, as against 1885
/ March I, and an analysis Of the changes
| for the month is unusually instructive
''Brcadstuffs and provisions rose, dairy
and garden products declined, and cloth
! ing fell of per cent Metals rose per
| cent Railway earnings continue to gain
| Roads reporting for March thus far in
/ creased 1G1 per cent over last year and
% I per cent over 1889. For the first quar-
| ter Of the year the gains are SIS and 3I-g
per cent
| ings gained as per cent over 1900 and q
per cent over 1899. while at leading cities
outside New York the gain is 10-5 per
I cent over 1900 and 14-5 over 1893. No sign
| Of lessehing demand is perceptible in any
branch Of the iron and steel industry
Mills are accepting contracts for the
closing months of the year and there is
/ every Indication that 1901 VIII suTpaSS all
( records IN the quantity Of pig iron con-
Sumed by manufacturers
Shipments Of boots and shoes from
/ Boston are steadily increasing, the last
week movement reaching e4.z53 cases.
/ against 92.975 in the previous week The
! circular Of Coates Bros on April ] made
/ the average Of 10e grades Of wool 1873
| March ! and 81 cents compared with
April 1900. During the past TWO weeks,
! however, the market has steadied and
/ there Is much more trading Moderate
/ buying is done by worsted mills
/ After declining within a sixteenth of
( / cents il was not surprising to see cot
! ton recover half a cent The oversOld
! condition OF the speculative market was
! chiefly responsible and Southern de-
| spatcheS gave support by statements OF
uufaVorable planting conditions. Supplies
prices. however, and conditions at mills
/ continue extremely depressing The brief
! squirt was followed by another decline,
! as traders realized that II was early for
/ authentic news regarding the next yield.
! and present conditions favored weakness.
| Aggressive manipulation of corn forced
! prices TO an unreasonable point, from
! which the fall was severe, and wheat
( also weakened.
! stock speculation. considering the hoIf-
days, was the most active on record and
/ prices went to q new high level. with
/ practically every group participating in
/ the movement
/ Commercial failures IN the first quar-
/ ter Of 1901 were 1886 in number and ST.
/ 7034S6 in amount OF defaulted liabilities.
! While exceeding the same three months
! OF last year in number, failures We're
! much smaller IN amount For the month
| OF March total liabilities were much
! smaller than In the corresponding month
/ Of any year since monthly statements
4 were first published