The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-20
BUSINESS BOON KEEPS Up
ONLY SETBACK HAS BEEN DUE TO
UNFAVORABL4E WEATHER IN
SOME SECTIONS
HEAVY DEMAND FOR STEEL
Buyers Continue More Anxious to
Get the Goods Than Sellers
Seem to BE to Get Rid
OF Them.

NEW YORK, April 19.-R. G. Dun &
Co.'S weekly review of trade tomorrow
VIII says: Favorable crop reF orts, heavy
bank clearings, record breaking railroad
earnings, large Distribution of spring
and summer goods and easy collections
give the business situation an encourag-
ing aspect. Wall street speculation does
not yet discount any approaching re-
action in commercial lines and the
money market seems to have turned the
corner. at least for the present. Cot
ton and wooden goods retain their gain
of last week, though PARTLY on account Of
the idleness Of many mills. The wool
market is steady, Notwithstanding the
absence of demand by the large producers
Of goods
Aside from the uneasiness caused by
labor controversies, no setback has ap-
peared in the leading industry. Condi-
tions of supply and demand are similar
to those existing for the past few
months; in some lines purchasers are in
creaSlngly inportunate, while in others
there Is slightly less urgency for prompt
shipment, but in all branches Of iron
and steel manufacture reQui ements are
much in excess of available stocks Re
cent evidence of large grain crops has
brought agricultural implement makers
into the market for bars and many
have contracted for their entire years
supply. Another feature was the great
er activity In structural material for
bridges and buildings while the large
tonnage of steel rails already placed
did not prevent further orders The re-
cent advance in plates failed to diminish
business. Faith in the future is evil
denced by more plans for the erection
of new mills of enormous capacity.
Shipments of boots and shoes from the
fo CT
3d. two weeks ago, but there
still appears a good margin above the
movement q. year ago Contracts are
unevenly distributed, many shops having
orders for some time, while others are
seeking business. The general situation
is more satisfactory than a year ago,
however, for then not a third Of the ca
paeity was being operated. Prices on
shoes are maintained but the reduction
in boots has become general. Local
manufacturers are receiving better or
ders and some idle shops have resumed.
City jobbers complain Of the backward
season. The leather market has met
with further reverses especially In the
lightweight division. A better quality
of hides is offered at Chicago and quo
tations tend upward, although tanners
are not buying freely. The outlook for
this years crop of cotton has been as
Southern states. Correspondents Of R.
G. Dun & Co. report that planting aver
ages about two weeks later than usual
owing to heavy rains. While there Is
reason to anticipate a large acreage, can
collation. of many orders for fertilizers
shows that the sharp decline in cotton
prices had the beneficial result of re-
stricting operations to some extent
Planters have encountered some difficult
ty in securing sufficient labor owing to
the great demand in other industries,
and it is expected that the cost Of plant
ing and picking the current crop will be
greater than usual ON this account
Georgia mills are running full time,
while In other Southern states there IS
much reduction. Port receipts continue
largely In excess Of last years, but
prices are held steady by better foreign
purchases and less expectations Of rec
ord-breaking yield in 1851.
Failures for the week numbered POS
in the United States, against 1874 last
year, and Il in Canada against IT last
year.