Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-29
SPRING TRADE TAKES Squirt
Volume of Business in Wearing Apparel Of
Exceptional Magnitude.
ToP-HEAW COTTON MARKET TUSBLES
Excessive Speculative Buying Causes
severe Reaction-steeI Production
Beats Former ACCOMPLISHMENTS
weak Mt start, but Recover.

NEW YORK, March 2S.-R. @. Dun's
Weekly Review Of Trade tomorrow will say:
Favorable weather greatly facilitated
Easter retail trade, the volume of ~transac-
lions in all lines OF wearing apparel being
Of exceptional magnitude. Activity was by
no means restricted to the speclalties,
however, the general distribution OF mer-
chandise exceeding that of previous sea-
tinct evidence of the vigor of Legitimate
trade is found in the decline Of only IA
per cent. In bank exchanges at New YORK,
Notwithstanding the fact that transactions
at the Stock xchange were not more than
a third of those in the same week last
year, while at other leading cities clesrings
exhibited a gain of 9.S per cent over last
year and BIS per cent over, 1899.
Demands for an eight-hour day AFTER
May / by the blast furnace men was the
most disturbing feature in the iron ana
steel industry, and THIS rs not causing muSn IA
alarm, as an agreement will probably De
reached during the Intervening month.
Production Is now beyond all previous rec
although the early opening OF lake naviga-
ton means additional transporting tacll-
ties which cannot De wen Spare1 P ri
ment makers, and producers have sold their
entire output so far ahead that new busi-
ness is not sought. Many plans for imme,
diate structural work have been abandoned
owing to the insufficient supply OF available
material. On the other hand there are re-
other supplies by consumers who have Sc
cured larger deliveries than will be needed.
j lie appearance " luAS bBtChAbNANO ANAA~AA
would be ominous IL quotations were more
excessively inflated. Aside from the ad,
vance In bar iron. at Ptttsburg to, SS ana
foundry iron at Chicago to $3.50 there are
no Important price changes, southern fur
mace products having decided to postpone
the proposed advance.
A severe reaction occurred in cotton, due
entirely to the excessive speculative pur-
chases, which made the market ~top-heavy.
A slight recovery in coffee from the bottom
price must be attributed to aggressive OPP
ton buying, as the statistical position is
not improved, Brazil receipts exceeding
last record TO date by over a third. A tenn
porary reduction in refined sugar was
quickly restored, as the market for raw
grades became, very strong. Meats again
advanced in the face of easier grain, a
helpful influence being the largest single
order ever placed for the British army.
Weakness appeared in the cereals early
unanimity about encouraging weather re-
ports and increased acreage. Subsequently
cheerful news from Kansas and Oklahoma,
but the net result for the week was a de-
cidedly lower range Of prices. Wheat ex-
factory record Of 4,657, 625 bushels last week
to only 3,0SS, 642 bushels this week. which
compares with 3,9S6,SS2 in the same week
receipts to 2,747, 094 bushels. against 4,G2,5OS
a year ago, but the difference in arrivals Of
corn was less striking, 1,976,o64 bushels,
against 2,6S2. 91S a year ago. Atlantic ship
ments of the minor cereal were only 1884
bushels, compared with 2,946, 461 in 1901. Ac-
cording to analysis of the official returns
by a Liverpool authority there will be only
100000 bushels OF wheat in this country
at the close of the crop year. but the state
ment is based on exports. for the last four
months of half as much as the record
breaking shipments of the preceding eight
months. which is extremely Improbable. A
made to allow for the underestimate OF
the total crop.
United States, against 206 last year, and p
In Canada, against ~ last year.