The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-12
WEEKLY TRADEREVI
WARMER WEATHER HAS HELP.
ED TRADE.
Earlier Reports Of Damage to the
Grain Crops Rather Exag-
gerated Iron and Steel Most
Active Industries.


New York, July li.-Bradstreets tomor-
row will say:
Warmer and more settled weather In
many sections has helped seasonable
trade and made 1t possible to ascertain
that the earlier reports of grain crop
dsma9e from rains were rather exagger-
ated. Among the industries. iron and
steel stiii rank first in activity. The chief
source Of complaint 10 the scarcity Of coal
and coke. limiting pig iron production at
q critical period. The labor situation
has rather improved, IL anything. Rail-
way earnings thus far reported for June
Qhe anthracite roads excepted show an
aggregate gain Of per cent on last
year. all reports as TO probable crops
and trade point to the maintenance OF a
heavy tonnage. The strength Of food
prices. particularly OF cereals and meats,
are based on small Immediate available
supplies rather than fears of possible fu-
turc shortage. Except fer wheat. nigh
est prices paid for ten to twenty years
past at this time are being paid. Tex
tilee anc other manufactured goods tend
lower and thus affect the general level Of
values The ability to pay the prices rub
Ing in the past year IL one OF the best
evidences OF the prosperity prevailing
among all classes. A further light on
this matter Ii shed by the reports troin
all parts OF the country Of enormous pas
senger traffic by rail and water during
the first week OF July. Failures are down
to low summer minimum.
Tt In q significant fact In view OF tho
recent crop damage talk. that the Gov
eminent report for July shows that win
ter wheat, oats. barley, rye and hay all
improved in condition during June. and
spring WHEAT alone lost tribe. The
bumper crop Of corn Indicated In these
columns for some time past, due to large
acreage and good condition. seems
measurabiy within sight. In view OF the
agricultural department report that most
OF the leading States are above ninety.
This report is taken to indicate not far
from $500. 100000 bushels crop. total
never hitherto reliably estimated. The
wheat crop. despite drawbacks, promises
still to be one-fifth above the ten-year
average and the indicated oats produce
ton has never yet been eQualed. The
barley, rye. potatoe and fruit crops all
promise better than a year ago.
Trade In seasonable goods at wholesale
has been restricted, but warmer season.
able weather has helped retail business.
FAN business has been Of good proper
tons at the west, and clothing and shoes
have done especially well at st. Louis.
Shut-downs of schuylkill. Lehigh. Ma
honing and Shenango Valley furnaces be-
cause of lack of fuel reduce the volume
of iron production when their full pro-
duction could be advantageously handled.
Rails are in unprecedented demand. and
50 per cent OF the country's production
for next year has already been arranged
for. In structural shapes and other
heavy forms also. demand Ii eager, and
six months production 10 easily on the
order books Import arrivals OF iron and
billets are large. In some lines, however,
notably tin plates. wire, sheets and bars,
new business is slack. Hardware is In
very active sale, a feature being the
booked.
Cotton goods are quiet at the east.
after the recent price revisions. Some
business for export to India Is reported,
but Chinese trade Is quiet Raw cotton
has fuetuated with weather reports.
Preliminary returns Of export trade for
the fiscal year shows the smallest ex-
ports Of breadstufts for four years past,
| due to the shrinkage in corn and oats,
more than offsetting probably the largest
wheat shipments on record. High prices
for cattle checked exports also. but pro-
vision shipments have broken all records.
Cotton exports are TO per cent below
last years recerd-brealxing total, but
petroleum exports were never before
equaIed. The aggregate of the exports
Of breadstuf9s. coal and provisions, cot
ton and petroleum. Is ls per cent below
last year, but still per cent larger than
two years ago, which was up TO that
time the greatest ever recorded.
Wheat Gncluding -FOUR exports for the
week ending July 10. aggregate 4,404,ll5
bushels. against 3,21l,215 bushels last week
and 5,0is.1is bushels in this week last
year. Wheat exports since July aggre-
gate 6.0ts.115 bushels. as inst z5E,2A
bushels last season.
Germ exports aggregate BS,1M bushels,
against 1899 bushels last week and q
800. 7Ss bushels last year. For the fiscal
year corn exports are 2t9.nS bushels.
against 4.294.6S6 bushels last season.
Business failures for the week number
1876, as against 1888 last week and 1873 In
this week last year.