Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-05-16
The Business situation.

Bradstreet's Saturday says: General
trade adyices this week are, In the
main, rather more favorable than those
OF last week, mainly because of the
improvement in crop prospects, due to
seasonable rains following planting.
Bank clearings, swelled by enormous
stock operations, break all records.
Gross railway earnings continue to
show increases and failures are down
to n normal minimum The textiles
are still the soft spot in the general
situation. and ale still dull, but export
business in cottons is better. Trade In
dry goods is quiet at. the East, and not
very active at the West, rs is natural
in view of the season Of the year.
Little is doing in clothing. Mems wear
wooleus are not active-slow and dis
appointing, in fact--while plain dress
goods are selling fairly we'll. New bust.
ness is less notable in irop and steel
than for some time past, but prices are
steady and firm at last weeks quota
tions, with mills and furnaces running
to their full capacity. The Pig iron
output on the LIST of the month Is said
to be the largest in the ccuntry's his
tory, exceeding the boom Of February,
1900. Wheat, including -four, ship
ments for the week aggregate A, 17S, 872
bushels, against 8, 100, T63 last week,
3, 480, 574 In the corresponding week of
1900. From July LIST to date this
season wheat exports are ISL, 695, ITO
bushels, against 100, sig. 176 last season
and 204, ASP, $50 in 1898 &c. Corn ex-
ports for the week aggregate 1853, S31
bushels, against 2,37l, 1872 last week
and 4,63S, lao in this week year ago
From July LIST to date this season corn
exports are 1853, 500, 267 bushels, against
lit, Sal, 215 last season and 145, 279, Sol
IN 1898-90. Failures for the week num-
her 1893. as compared with 1853 last
week, TIA In this week year ago. 1863
in 1899 and $50 in 1895. Canadian
failures for the week number 26,
against II last week, 10 in this week q
year ago. 81 in 1899, 20 in 1898 and 81
r. g. Dun & 10, g Review says !:
"Less sensational events TRANSFERRED in
the cereal markets than in the preced-
ing week, although quotations are slow
TO recsde. Corn eased off few cents,
but is still about 10 cents bushel,
or nearly 25 per cent above the quota
ton at the corresponding date in the
two preceding years. Western operators
continue to entertain strong views, and
appear little daunted by the larger
receipts attracted to interior cities by
the unusually profitable prices offered.
Foreign purchasers have been driven
out Of the domestic markets by the
high quotations, and Atlantic exports
for the week have been 1,2ll, 244
bushels, compared with 3,709, $50 a year
ago Shipments OF bouts and shoes
from/Boston rose to an unusual point,
aggregating 103, 1928 cases for the week,
against 1881 10 the previous week and
6S, 15l in the corresponding period last
year. The total movement since Janu-
AIRY 1st is now but 10000 cases below
1900 to date, and far above any other
year. Recovery in the price of cotton
was only Temporary, and heavy liquida-
tion of options WAS accompanied by
fall in spot middling uplands to the
lowest figure recorded this year. Even
at luss of 50 bale, compared with
the quotations prevailing year ago,
there is little disposition to secure raw
material, either by domestic or foreign
spinners. AS the end of the crop year
approaches there Is no sign of the
famine predicted by many experts
earlier in the season, and with most
monotonous regularity Foit receipts
continue two or three times as large as
10 the same week last year. With q
large yie,d probable this year and I'M
satisfactory conditions at the mills,
there Ia no inducement to hold stocks.
The situation is similar regarding
wool and wooens. Raw material is
abundant, and a large clip probable,
while manufacturers have only light
deman for goods. Failures for the
week numbered 1877 in Nthe United
States, against 1872 last year, and 26 in
Canada, against 10 last year,