The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-20
RETAIL TRADE BETTER
DISPOSITION TO BOOK ORDERS
is UNRESTRAINED.
Plenty Of Money in the Interior and at
All Centers for Trading Purpose
Tho Selling Position tho Strongest
Side of the Price Situation-Exports
OF Grain-FaiIures of the Week.

NEW YORK, Sept. 19.-Bradstreet's
tomorrow will say: Jobbing distribu-
ton continues very active and retail
business is improving. Now that the
corn crop is practically made and the
only possible changes are those Of
quality, the disposition to book fall
and winter orders Is unrestrained at
the West and Northwest. At the
South the tone Of trade reports is not
ably cheerful. largely owing to higher
cotton prices because crop accounts
are not so favorable as a week ago.
Collections are, as whole, good, and
the reports as to this and as to money
conditions point to good supplies Of
the circulating medium in the country
at large. Whatever stringency is noted,
condition usual at this time, Is linn
tied largely to the employment Of
money in speculation. The claim is
made that there is plenty of money
in the interior and indeed at all CEN
tiers for ordinary trade purposes.
The selling position seems to be the
strongest side Of the price situation,
except possibly in the cereals and
agricultural products generally.
Good Position of Farmers.
Even here the fine financial position
of the farmers enables them to market
lation Of moment is recorded except
in cattle receipts, which this week sur
passed all records. Notable strength is
exhibited in manufactured goods, the
textiles leading in volume Of demand
and in strength Of prices, in keeping
with advances or firInness in the raw
materials. A large distribution Of cot
ton goods is going on at the West, and
the flrmness in the Eastern trade is
Of, hi v,(1. xy1lx
Quieter tone of demand.
The coal situation deserves notice.
The delay in the ending of the anthra-
cite coal strike throws increased pres
sure on the bituminous product, and
prices for that article are now at least
one-quarter higher than the low point
before the strike began. Anthracite
production is slowly but surely in
creasing as more mines and miners
go to work, but the necessities of some
retail buyers make for fancy prices
for what is left. A long season at full
time will be necessary to restore
stocks of anthracite to old dimensions.
Hides have eased in price partly be-
cause of this and also because of tan
ners suspending work owing to I'M
profitable business in the finished ma
terial. Leather is strong as ever, how
ever, because the shoe business Is
good. being best at the West.
Lumber is active as heretofore and
the strength of prices is notable, hard
woods being specially strong.
Car Famine Less Acute.
There has been a slight easing of
the car famine as to coke and coal
supplies, and the furnace situation in
the valleys is therefore bettered, but
the Eastern mills are complaining of
1n1 i,.1, nj
steel are reaping the benefit, and the
European invasion Of iron has now
reached the Mississippi. British pig
iron for quick delivery is selling free
ly at Pittsburg and Chicago. Foreign
steel is being bought for mills in the
Central West, and large quantities of
rails, these for next years delivery,
are eDing bought abroad. In finished
products, export tin plates, Americans
have about all the business that they
care to accept. Rails, plates and struc-
tural iron are all heavily sold ahead.
The ore trade on the lakes is as active
| as ever, every nerve being strained to
handle the business offered. In other
metals the features are the renewed
weakness in copper and tin, the boom
in the former metal appearing short
lived Hardware is notably active at
all markets, and as an instance West
tern stove manufacturers are reported
to have all the orders they can handle.
Wheat. including -four, exports for
the week ending Sept. IS aggregate
5,435,323 bushels, against 5,444142 last
week, 3,S40,574 in this week last year
and 3,5S5,857 in 1900. Wheat exports
since July 1 aggregate 55,537, 065
bushels, against 72,1S1.S45 last season
and 3S,519,690 in 1900.
Corn exports aggregate 49,50S
bushels, against 91,512 last week; Gill;
25S last year and 2,134,205 in 1900. For
the fiscal year exports are 9S0,S59
bushels, against 12,132,934 last season
and 39,791,2 41 in 1900.
Business failures in the United
States for the week ending Sept 10
number 1872, as against 1877 last week,
1853 in this week last year, 1873 In 1900;
lat in 1890 and 1872 in 1898.
In Canada for the week eighteen, as
against eighteen last week.