The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-10
TRAD -
IMPROVED TONE NOTED
BETTER cRoP OUTLOOK A HELP
But Some Interference With Distri-
button Caused by Rough
Weather..

New York, May 10.-Bradstreets of to-day
says: Improved weather conditions furnish
the keynote for the more cheerful tone in.
distributive trade Copous rains, while not
repairing all the damage to winter wheat
done by the recent drought i'll Kansas, seem
to have put the rest of the crop out of any
thing like immediate danger. 1t has also
placed the ground In excellent condition for
the later crops. such corn and oats.
The situation in manufacturing generally
may be summed up in the one word ''ac-
| tivity," the only important exception to this
being noted in the WOODEN industry. which Is
interfered with by strikes. The unsettled
anthracite coal situation also overhangs the
eastern trade situation,. but the bituminous
industry reports wide open activity.
Iron and steel trades are still pushed to
| the utmost tension to keep up with current
| demand. Building and all lines dependent
thereon are active despite the increased cost
OF lumber and Of builders hardware and
the higher level of wages.
Railway earnings are really surprisingly
| good. s ftsr
Bessemer pig is active, and quick deliveries
will easily bring $50, while steel sbllets are
selling at $3.50, The only branches of the
| trade which are approximately upward are
| the tin plate and sheet industries. Among
| the other materials tin is higher on the week,
| while copper is rather weaker.
Little or no decrease in the demand for
| lumber is noted, though higher prices and
| higher wages demanded are reported to have
| interfered with some contemplated work at
| western points. Builders hardware is ap-
parenty alphabetically higher in price,
| though the formation of the new hardware
| jobbers' combination is credited with some
| effect
| Eastern shoe trade advices are of a heavy
number of orders coming in, and shipments
| are certainly larger than for some time past,
but are still below those of a year ago for
the week and for the season. Leather is
quiet as whole, but hides are stronger.
Good cables and the large decrease in
! wheat supplies reported by Bradstreet's We're
a source of strength early in the week. but
| there was heavy liqudation on the bulge,
| which accentuated by the better adyices
as to wheat from the southwest and the
generally improved condition of the conceded
| ly immense acreage in corn and oats.
| These conditions, dealing with the future,
seem to have rather overshadowed the adj
mittedly strong situation of immediate sup
| plies, particularly of wheat, which are small
er than one or two years ago and only rela-
lively slightly larger than the high priced
year of 1898. -.,.a.
The feature in the dry goods trade this
week is the improved demand at retail and
the large recorder business, coupled with
rather better buying for the fall season.
| Prices OF the manufactured textiles remain as
| strong as ever. The situation of wool at the
| east is, affected by the interruption caused
| by strikes, but stocks are low there. =.
| Wool is active at a higher range than a
year ago at.the west and at London higher
| price is noted, so that the ending of the
present labor troubles contains possibilities
| for the raw market. sd! -
| Wheat, including -four, exports for the
week aggregate 3,3O2,24o blu, against 5,3Os, 15E
| bu last week and 4,178,s72 blu last year
Wheat exports July l. 1901, to date FORTY
five weeks) aggregate 219 ,o62 bu, against
| l79, 500 bu last season.