The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-06
No SLACKEMNG IN TRADE
BUSINESS ACTIVITY CONTINUES UN-
ABATED IN ALL LINES Elk
CEPF DRY GOODS
FAILURES IN THREE MONTHS
Number of Rankrupts Greater Than
in 1900, but Aggregate LiabiI-
tiles Are Twenty Million
Dollars Less.

NEW YORK, Aprn 5.-DunS weekly
review of trade tomorrow will say:
While the general business world has
looked with amazement at the perform
ance of the stock market, trade has
maintained it's even course, and there
are many more points of gain than of
: loss, with even a slightly steadie@ tone
In the dry goods markets There, some
sellers have withdrawn offers at recent
low prices. though buying is small as
yet. Collections in all lines are UNUSUAL
~ prompt, and contracts have been en-
tered into sufficient to furnish a decided
impetus in allied lines during the spring
season
No 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, and
there is every indications that 1861 VIII
surpass all records in the quantity of
pig iron consumed by manufacturers
Ihought 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 accomplish
ed within a 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 evidence OF
inflated prices Regular quotations have
not altered, except for bars and foundry
pig iron, although all sorts of premiums
are paid where prompt shipments are
required. Although fewer ovens are ac-
tive in the Connellsville region than
year ago, the output is much larger, and
about 100000 tons were made during the
quarter.
Shipments of boots and shoes from
Boston are steadily increasing, the last
weeks movement reaching 94,543 cases.
against 92,975 in the previous week and
50, 034 year ago. Quotations are steady
but it is feared that the recent declines
in leather and hides will make it posi-
bic for the small shoe manufacturers to
cut prices when they are compelled to
seek new business. An unexpected de-
mand has appeared for russell shoes,
equaling last years business, despite the
fact that these lines were considered less
popular.
The circular of Coates Bros. on April
/ made the average of 100 grades of
wool 1888 cents, decline of nearly a
cent since March /, and 81 cents com
pared with April, 1900 During the past
steadied and there is much more trad
ing. Moderate buying is done by worsted
mills.
s After declining within a sixteenth Of
4 cents, 1t was not surprising to see cot
ton recover half a cent. The oversold
condition of the speculative market was
chiefly responsible. and Southern dis
patches gave support by statements of
unfavorable planting conditions. Sup
plies were against any pronounced rise
in price, however, and conditions con-
tinue extremely depressing.
Aggressive manipulation of corn forced
prices to an unreasonable point, from
which the fall was severe, and wheat
also weakened. although exports from
the Atlantic coast continued liberal.
Pork products did not show the usual
sympathy with corn when it reacted, for
Cicago operators absorbed offerings
readily
Commercial failures In the first quar-
ter of 1901 were 3335 in number and $751;
1903 1856 in amount Of defaulted liabilities,
of which 10 were in manufacturing for
$125O4. 222, and 2,46S in trading, for $l4,
$50, 906, with 157 others not properly in
Guided IN either class, that owed $685..
35S Banking defaults numbered q, with
liabilities Of So, 331, 419 While exceeding
the same three months of last year in
number, failures were much smaller in
amount, commercial and financial in
solvencies together showing a decrease
of $21 532, $780, Only two years of the last
twenty made a better showing, either in
aggregate or average Indebtedness to
each failure; while the proportion of
S26 IA to each firm in business, and $1.09 to
each 81, 600 Of insolvent payments through
clearing houses are records that were
surpassed but once in two decades. For
the month of March total liabilities were
much smaller than in the corresponding
month OF any year since monthly state
ments were first published. These figures
indicate most undeniably that the new
century has opened with business on no
uncertain foundation.