The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-26
WEEKLYT TRADE REVIEW
WEATHER PRODUCES ERKATIc
 FLUCTUATIONS.
Retail Distribution of Merchandise Has Maintained . Good Average.
 Manufacturing Plants
 are Well Employed.

New York. April 25.-R. G. Dun < Co.
 weekly review of trade tomorrow VIII
 say: .,.
 fluctuations in prices and affected busi-
 ness very differently according to locality. As the future prosperity of the railroaos is more or less dependent upon the crops, the vagaries of the weather were quick
 ly reflected in the market for securities as well as in option sales of grain ana
 cotton. Retail distribution of merchanqise
 has maintained a good average, losses at
 some points being offset by gains eise- where. Manufacturing plants are well
 employed, except where wage disputes interrupt. Coffee and silver touched low
 record prices, but the average or com modities advanced. Transportation inter
 ests maintain their wonderful recoru
 Railroad earnings thus far reported for
 April exceeding last years by o.2 per cent, and those of 1909 by 15.3 per cent
 Most large consumers of pig iron have provided for their needs we'll up to the end of the year.
 Quotations received by cable indicate that pressure in the United States has produced decided advance abroad and imports after paying duty and freight are extremely expensive. Movement Of partially manufactured and finished steel products continues on & large scale. A se- were setback in London speculation caus- ed decline here. but other minor met als are without special feature. Increased output and quicker deliveries of coke fa- cilitate work at iron furnaces and re- duce the price. while the lower list for anthracite coal has stimulated orders Lumber and building material are having the usual spring activity.
 Manufacturers of cotton goods are still behind with deliveries and active ma- chinery is assured for some time to come. Labor disputes have been tempo rarlly adjusted, making the output very heavy as compared with recent weeks when the stocks were causing interrup- tion. New orders are small the recent liberal export demand being caused, it Is thought, by the fall in silver. JObbers have received requests for more prompt delivery, retail trade having expanded with the warmer weather. Quotations of cotton goods are firmly held. The strength of the raw material giving strong sup port. Independent woolen mills are work ing night and day. . Wool moves slowly and in some in- stances prices are shaded, but as rule holders insist on fall figures Footwear shops at the East have few new orders and shipments from Boston continue to decrease shops at the West are more Leather is quiet. without change in price. but domestic hides have again risen and foreign hides are scarce.
 While the prospects for 8 full yield of wheat are less bright than they were a week ago, the sharp rise in prices must be attributed in part to sidllful manipu- lation by interests recently prominent in the stock market Lack of moisture has checked growth in the Southwest and snow has retarded farm work in some spring wheat States. but 1t is probable that there Is the customary exaggeration of damage reports for speculative pur- poses. A year ago there was a sharp ad- vance in prices on gloomy reports, yet the final yield promises to be a record breaker. Exports from all ports of the United States, including flour. were 4,- 0A .614 bushels, against 3,433 9S7 last year. shipments being mainly of wheat pur- chased before the advance. Exporters made few, new contracts at the higher prices. Corn was attracted to the market by the better terms offered, receipts for the week reaching 1,i34.497 bushels against l 13S. .39s year ago, but Atlantic exports fell off to 340.237 bushels, against 1275,- 156 in 1901. Meats were sustained. Cotton rose to the top point of the season on light receipts and reports of reduced acreage Not only has the planting sea son been retarded by bad weather, but there Is evidence that grain will be large ly substituted owing to the high prices of the present season.
 Failures for the week numbered 212 in the United States against 215 last year and ls in Canada against 26 a year ago.