Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-06-06
The Business situation.

Bradstf Get g says Saturday :''The situ-
alton in textiles has not changed
materially, except that real conditions
In the print cloth market have teen
recognized by u heavy cut in the price
OF that product. The steadiness Of
Prices is still feature, the cereals
being as high or slightly higher than
week ago, as much owing to bad
crop reports from abroad as to tales OF
dry weather damage in the North west
to wheat, and too cool weather for corn
in the country az whole. Cotton is
higher in the face of large receipts,
and reports of slow trade, because the
prospect as to the near months, partiou-
larly July, is still doubtful, and owing
to covering by the short interest in
that and the succeeding month. The
cord is at least two weeks late, but the
acreage will probably be from to 10
per cent larger. As for soms time past,
new business in iron and steel is small,
while production on ofders is at the
maximum. Stesl billeta are temporarily
scarce and 90 cents higher, while
.Bessemer pigs dull and off a5 cents.
Southern iron is dull and weak, and
present quotations could be cut 80
cents il business were offered, Finished
products are generally strong, and the
mills are still crowded with business.
Failures for the week number 144,
against 1872 last week, 1856 in thi, week
a year ago, 129 in 1899, 17s in 1903 and
1872 In 1897. Canadian failures number
q, against "a last week, q q year ago
and Is In 1899."
r. g. Dun g. Co. e. Review says:
"While the weather 10 the East has
hampered distributive trade to a con
siderable extent this week, rendering
the season in some lines rather un-
satisfactory, the West and South report
unchanged conditions, with operations
we'll up to the recent average. There
is little less activity among manu-
factui ers of boots and shoes, some of
the smaller plants reducing time or
closing down, ostensibly for the pur-
pose of taking stock. Shipments of
boots and shoes from Boston have
shown the expected decrease from the
pbenomenally large figures Of recent
preceding weeks, but are still very
heavy, and since January 1st exceed
last years by about 10000 cases. Ex-
tended holidays abroad and short
one in this country have tended to
make the grain markets unusually
quiet, while corn has had the added
drawback of hesitation among traders,
who have not yet recovered from the
effects of manipulation 10 the May
option. Foreign purchasers were driven
out of this market by inflated quo
tations, as shown by Atlantic exports
In five weeks of only 8, 436, 285 bushels,
against 1884, 065 bushels last year,
and Is, 433, sls bushels 10 the same
week of 1899. Each reaction in wheat
lie quickly followed by recovery, and
much support Is found in gloomy re.
ports from growing sections. Heavy
brown goods have steadied under better
Chinese inquiry, but local retail and
jobbing trade is restricted by unfavor
able weather. Although it Is between
seasons with the silk trade, there is
good demand, and available stocks Of
the more desirable lines are reported
light. The ribbon trade continues
brisk, despite lowering skies. Carpets
and upholsteries improve, and in staple
clothing woolens there is more activity
This brings out raw woel more freely,
but there is not sufficient demand
60 advance prices. In fact, the
accumulation of supplies hns had a
distinctly depressing influence, and in
the Philadelphia market quotations
are perceptibly easier ~