The sun., 1901-03-30
DRY GOODS TRADE Dull
But Other Lines Send Cheerful Re-
ports to Dun's Review.
METAL MARKET is STEADY.
Reaction In Raw Cotton Results In
the Establishing of New
Low Record For the
Crop Year.

New York, March OR. G. Dun u
Co.'s weekly review of trade says:
The condition Of general business is
in most respects satisfactory. The dry
goods trade, and particularly the cot
ton division, is gloomy, with further re-
ductions in prices of staple goods this
week and demand failing to increase
with the shading of quotations.; but
from every other department of busi-
ness reports are cheerful, and the out
look for good spring retail turnover
is encouraging.
Aside from the expected advance in
structural shapes, there is compara-
tive steadiness in iron and steel. The
rise of about 50 per ton in angles.
beams and other similar forms will
not materially affect the cost to large
consumers, as contracts for much OF
the years tonnage had been placed in
anticipation of the new rate. After
more or less advance every week for
two months it is gratifying to find that
bessemer pig remained seven days
without alteration. The tone is firm.
and producers report all sales for early
| delivery.
While exports of cruder forms are
light, other countries having reduced
prices until their competition is felt,
| there is no diminution in the foreign
demand for bridge material and other
finished products. Consolidation of
valley furnaces is practically assured
and promises to be powerful force in
the industry. The meeting of ore pro-.
ducers at Cleveland to fix prices has
been postponed, leaving this important
factor in the situation still uncertain.
Prices of boots and shoes are we'll sus-
tained, without any quotable change.
There is some improvement in the To-
cal jobbing trade. and retail houses be-
gin to feel the impetus of Easter de-
mand. New England shops report few
Ell orders, but most concerns have suf-
ficient work for some months on old
contracts. Japanned goods and chrome
patent kid are in special request.
New Record For Cotton.
1t was not possible to maintain the
small recovery late last week in raw
cotton, and subsequent reaction estab
lished new low record for the crol
year. While the decline has been Sc
| we're, mills are not ready to purchase
, freely, and foreign buying for the
! month is far below last years. Ef
J forts will be made to prevent the enor
nous acreage meditated, but unparal
leled sales of fertilizers have already
occurred. Even granting a large yield
however, there is good reason to hope
that the weakness will soon be checked
, by the better demand which should re
i suit from the attractive terms at which
spinners can now secure raw material.
Wheat did not respond to rumors OF
damage, but found reason for strength
in Atlantic exports, including flour. il
four weeks of 11,432,947 bushels
against 6,07S,762 in 1900.
!, That bottom prices for wool have
] been reached at last is evidenced by
the growing unwillingness of holders
to make concessions, the greater activ
ity of dealers and indications that pur
chases for speculation are of consider
able volume. Transactions show a ma
: terial gain at the leading markets
while shipments from Boston excee
! those of preceding weeks.
Liabilities of failures in four week
:. amounted to S.134,731, Of which So
d 635,2S0 were in manufacturing. S4,1SG
II S15 in trading and S1,312, ,63G in otht
y commercial lines. Last year in tn
y same weeks liabilities We're $10.349
796, of which $4 ,S24,032 were in mani
featuring and $4,302.341 in trading.
:. Failures for the week numbered 2C
in the United States against 2O3 la
'. year, and 20 in Canada against 33 la
n year.