The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-23
WEEKLY TRADEREVIEW
SUMMARY OF SITUATION By
DUN AND BRADSTREET.
Fuel Scarcity Still the One Serious
Industrial undergraduates
Inadequate, Owing to the Lack
of Motive Power.

New York, Aug. Pr. @. Dun and
Company's weekly review of trade tomof-
row will say:
Fuel scarcity is still the one serious In
dustrial handicap. Protracted idleness at
anthracite mines increased the pressure
for coal and despite new records OF out
put, deliveries are utterly inadequate ow.
ing to the lack of motive power. Freight
blockade of trains has closed many fur
naces. while the increasing call for trans
porting facilities on cross account gives
little prospect of early relief. Notwith-
standing the congestion. railway earnings
thus far reported for August show gains
of "a per cent over last year and li.O per
cent over 1900. Weather conditions have
been less uniformly favorable for agrt-
cultural products, yet no severe loss 10
reported. Current trade Is of good vol
ume, for the season while the outlook
for the future Is bright. Buyers are
numerous in all the leading markets,
quotations. AS the active blast furnace
capacity of this country decreases
through want of fuel foreign pig iron is
more freely and Scotch war
steady demand Domestic needs are now
far beyond all precedent and even with
the available home capacity active there
would be imports. although less than are
now arriving. There is much that Is graf
flying in this state of affairs but there is
also a drawback. During the recent Pc
Rod for exceptional domestic demand,
many export orders have been sacrificed.
which German and Belgian makers Sc
cured.
Output Of the Connellsville regions con-
tinues above all records but stocks accu-
mulate. Textile mills are we'll occupied,
business gradually increasing In the cot
ton goods division and demands for quick
delivery show that stocks are low Ex-
port trade in brown cotton Is insignifi-
cant. but more inquiries are reported:
49, -a~-I,A -sx1
worsteds for spring wear are now fully
opened, and buyers are placing much
business. Quotations are steadily main
tained, with the market in healthy condi-
ton There is some evidence that supple
mentary orders will command higher
prices. especially If raw wool makes any
further advance. Footwear shops at the
East have assurance of full operation for
two months. although there is much COM
plant of quotations in connection with the
sensational movement of the material
Packers hides at Chicago have attained
new high record prices and oak sole
leather has advanced. There is a general
disposition to delay making contracts at
present quotations, legitimate purchasers
of material fearing an artificial element
in the market and shoe manufacturers
will be cautious while spring contracts
are under consideration. Staple products
average somewhat higher in prices ow-
ing to less uniformly good news from
the agricultural sections. No serious dis
aster occurred, but excessive rain re-
tarded the development of grain and in
terrupted harvesting. In many cases
where the date of maturity has been
postponed, there Is always the possibility
of injury from early frosts. The other
extreme of weather caused complaint at
the South. drought being in evidence at
many points. On the other hand there
were good reports of early picking. espe-
cially in Oklahoma. Coffee recovered
from within an eighth of the lowest point
on record. rumors of frost in Brazil prov
ing more potent than overwhelming sup
plies.
Failures for the week numbered 207 in
the United States against 205 last year
and thirty in Canada against thirty-five
q year ago.