The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-20
WEEKLY TRADE REVIEW
SITUATION SUMMARIZED BY
 DUN AND BRADSTREET.
Holiday Trade Has Exceeded Even the Most sanguine Expectations of .the Retail Men-Industrial
 Plants Well Employed.

Now York, Dec. i9-R. c. Dun & Go $ weekly review of trade tomorrow -will say: Holiday trade has exceeded even the most sanguine expectations and retail are we'll maintained. with the better grades of goods in brisk demand. Whole some conditions prevail in most sections of the country, although in parts or the Southwest the season has fallen nehlno the average. Even in these cases reports are encouraging for the future. Industrial plants are well employed. orders running far into the future and labor controversies are rare. The only adverse feature oi the situation Is the fact that supplies oi fuel are utterly inadequate, both Tor household and manufacturing uses, snow increasing the delay of deliveries. Rali- way earnings thus far reported Tor De- cent. and those of 1900 by 1O,4 per cent
 Two events of importance have occur red in relation to the leading manufao- turing industry. The United States steel Corporation having greatly extended lts scope by absorbing many outside plants and certain desirable railway connec. tions The other was the announcement of an advanced freight rate to take ef- feet January l, showing an advance oi and steel. Otherwise the situation is practically unchanged, the largest pro ducer having over 5,zSoO00 tons Of unnIled orders on Its books and work IS being rushed as raplOly dS SuppiASo Ol luoi @hN material will permit Supplies of coke do not increase and many furnaces are Idle Contracts for bridge work and track sle- vation are freely offered by the railroads and accepted only on condition tnat the exact date of delivery shall not be spe- cifed Despite the fact that nail mills are sold close up to the end of the year no business Is offered ana urgent buyers are compelled to go abroad. New England producers of boots and shoes are not seek ing new business which comes forward moderately In the former supplementary orders. Prices are firmly held but no fur ther advance Is reported. Although the shoe manufactories are fairly supplied with sole leather, there Is steady de- mand from the smaller shops. The hem lock was advanced by the leading pro- ducers. Further deterioration In quality of hides has produced lower range or quotations in Western markets and neav- fer receipts of cattle add to the depres- sion.
 A reduction in quotations of leading lines of bleached cottons stimulated trad inK. many buyers having delayed placing contracts In anticipation of this change. This division of the textile market is now in good condition with no immediate pros pect of excessive supplies. Otherwise She domestic situation Is practically un- changed but in export grades there has been pronounced Interest on the part or the buyers, although few new contracts are placed as yet. In the woolen goods market there Is a fair volume of or ders. in many cases exceeding available offerings. Worsteds and yarns are also firm while a few grades of raw wool se- cured another advance Heavy arrivals of silk have not weakened the tone.
 Failures for the week numbered 26f in The United States against 265 last year and 16 in Canada compared with 27 a yea raRO,