The age-herald., 1902-03-08
WEATHER STILL
 AFFECTS TRADE
Freshets andFIoodS Have CauS-
 ed Considerable Trouble
NO IMPROVEMENT IN IRON
Dun and 5radstreet Say the Spring Trade Is Increasing Despite Un- settled Weather-Steel Rods
 Bring a High Price.

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 New York. March 7-Bradstneets to- morrow will say:
 Spring trade increases despite serious interruptions in the section adjacent to the Alleghenies. caused by floods, snow storms, interrupted telegraphic and rail facilities and crippled railroads. Western and northwestern advices are of course relatively the best received, and here millinery, dry goods clothing and kindred lines of spring goods are most active. At eastern markets textiles have felt the quickening demand. ana prices have strengthened many lines. The strength of textile generally, but of cotton and cot ton goods particularly, is the fact second only to the strength displayed in iron and steel. All available measures of midwinter trade point to exceptional activity de- spite unfavorable weather conditions. February clearngs as a whole, notwith- standing reductions al the metropolis, due to dullness in speculation, are slightly larger than a year ago. Failures are no more numerous, but few large bank suspensions, due to mismanagement, or worse have swelled liabilities one-quarter above a year ago. Prices have felt the quickening influences in slight increase in strength of textiles, dairy products among provisions, live stock. coal and coke and building materials. All signs, in fact. favor the indication that legitimate trade and industry is, except in few instances considerably more active than a year ago at this time
 Although there is less aDDarPnf tension in iron and steel, the situation remains a really remarkable one. Floods and high water have interfered with production, limiting supplies of fuel, hampering pro- ductive operations and checking ship ments. Most grades of pig iron are higher in prices by from 25 to 50 cents per ton. Finished products are active. Steel rods sell at the highest prices for many months. bar iron is higher, cut nails have advanced, and light rails have also been put up. A favorable feature is the set clement of the wage scale agreement by the tin plate mills.
 It has been a narrow week for the ce- reals with price changes few and far be- tween. Wheat, including flour, exports for the week aggregate 4,19SOOO bushels against 3.23454O last week. and 4,229, ,52s In this week last year. Wheat exports from July 1, 1901. to date, thirty-six weeks. aggregate 1s4 262.3T bushels against 137, 47S, ,206 last season. Corn ex- ports aggregate 356, 406 bushels against SIP. .664 last week and 3.956,137 last year. July 1, 1901. to date corn exports are 23,- All 66O bushels against 134,531, 735 last sea- son.
 Raw cotton has continued on it's up- ward march aided by bad weather condi- | tons checking interior movement and
 shorts have been forced to cover almost
 continuously. While a crop equal to | last years Is more generally conceded,
 the fact that exports 16 per cent greater,
 Is taken to indicate that American spin ners are short ol supplies reversing the position of two years ago when foreign manufacturers held off and lost money. l Cotton goods are very generally strong and tend upward The outlook in the Fall River print cloth industry is not settled as yet wage scale differences con- stituting a menace to continued activity. Woolen goods are fairly active, plain woolens are in limited supply and firmer with Australian grades tending upward. The boot and shoe and leather trades are exceptions to the more or less gen. eral activity in other lines. Shipments from Eastern markets are slightly larger for the week and per cent ahead of last year, but new demand is quiet and leath- CT shares the dullness, this being reflected and for union and oak tanned leather.
 Business failures in the United States for the week number IFS as against 204 last week. POS in this week last year. 1S9 in 1900, TIT in 1899 and 247 in 1898.
 Canadian fanures for the week number 23 as against 27 last week. and B last year