The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-09-06
ACTIVE BUYING IN
GENERAL TRADE
0un's and Bradstreet'S Reviews
Are Optimistic
OAL SCARCITY IS HURTING
Iron Furnaces Are Pressed and Now
Scarcity of Cars and Motive Power
Is Affecting the Movement Of
to the Pttsburg District.
OAL SCARCITY IS HURTING

! New York September 5.-Bradstreets
tomorrow will say:
All available data confirm reports of
tn past good trade and foreshadow as
good or better yet 70 come. 1t has been
essentially a week of active buying In
distributive trade, and sellers have oc-
cupied an enviable position. Reports as
to August trade have been almost uni
formly favorable and the records of
failures show business mortality to have
been confined to a low summer mini
mum. Prices show persistent strength
despite the fact that agricultural prod
ucts. except corn and prime cattle tend
lower owing to the growing strength of
raw textile and other materials for man
ufacture. Corn is not yet out of danger
from frost In northern half of the belt
and this coupled with short supplies i'm
parts strength to cereals generally. Re-
ports of cotton crop deterioration, caused
by hot, dry weather have scared shorts
and stiffened values of raw and manu-
featured cotton, but there is a Telling
that the crop damage talk has been
overdone and that liberal yield is still
possible, though active trade is expected
to demand all available supplies of the
south's leading product. Rather less
disturbance is noted in labor matters.
some strikes having been declared off.
The anthracite trouble still hangs over
the situation, but the volume of coal
shipments is slowly and steadily increas-
ing Some wage advances are noted in
widely separated lines. Collections in
the north and west are uniformly good,
but while some Improvement is noted in
the south. room for betterment still ex-
lists.
Jobbing activity is undiminished at the
west, northwest and southwest and 1t
is of satisfactory volume at the east
Dry goods, shoes, millinery, drugs, hard
ware, groceries, clothing and lumber
figure actively In the demand Leather
sales are large at the west, but high
hide prices discourage tanning.
Mt the east the advance in cotton is
stimulating the cotton gooos market
Good re- orders are noted In WOODEN
goods. but spring goods are meeting most
attention. Silks are good and strong anu
| prices are very firm Eastern shoe fac
tories are well employed, although the
\ complaint of small profit continues Wool
| Is 1ec higher and tends MP, as stocks arc
| not large. Eastern railroads and steam.
| ships report an unprecedented business
| Iteuiliub iFom summer travel.
The fuel shortage Is pressing iron fur
naces, and now the scarcity of cars and
motive power Is affecting the movemer
| of ore from lake ports to the Pittsburg
| district New demand for pig iron Is,
however, HIGHT, primarily because buyerr
have booked largely ahead. Foundry ir.n
is 81 higher. Heavy imports of iron ana
steel have cut down premiums on immed-
| lately delivery business, but IN the scar.
city OF supplies of domestic no particular
interest Is taken In this. Sales of foreign
made material are very large. In Finished
products business In rails, bars and
| sheets Is fair and mills are heavily scld
ahead. Tin plates and wire mills are
quiet, but better business is looked for
soon with the growth of full trade Hard
ware is apparently as active az ever
Copper is slightly flrmtr, while tir is
lower.
Wheat, including flour exports, for the
week ending September aggregate 62I, :
299 bushels against 543e,53O last week, a,
406,tG4 in this week last year and 33,3..
100 in 1909.
Wheat exports since July aggregate
44657,5SS bushels against 81 692 co. last
season and 30,317 SOL In 1900.
Corn exports aggregated y, 1856 bushels
| against 115,150 last week, 55OS76 last yea.
and 3.16a,eu In 1860 For the fiscal yeal
exports are S39,S39 bushels against 10,74s,-
s45 last season and 81 ,254 $50 in 1900.
Business failures for the week ending
September 4 number 49, as against lao
last week, 140 in this week last year. In
Canada for the week II as against %
| last week.