The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-25
TRADE
 OUTLOOK IS GOOD
Business on Next Springs Ac-
 count Tends to Expand
COLLECTIONS ARE FAIR
Dun and Brsdstrest See Several Favor able Features In the Industrial Situation, But Note Some
 Reduction in Demand.

New York, October 24-Bradstreets to- morrow will say:
 Favorable features still dominate the trade and industrial situation. Some re- duction in the demand for fall and winter goods at whole is noted, but it is shown at the same time that the completed bus mess in dry goods. clothing, shoes. hats, millinery and a host of other lines, is in excess. of 1901 and preceding years. Business on next springs account tends rather to expand and a similar tendency is noted in retail business. especially at the east, where the fear of a coal fam inc has been removed by the actual re- sumption of work It is true that in the northwest retail trade Is not meeting an- ticipations. possibly because of warmer weather, but partially because the farm ing element Is still busily engaged in crop work The money situation shows little that is unfavorable to general bus mess. Reports as to collections class them as being generally good. and in some cases better than year ago.
 Raw cotton shows the least strength of the textiles Good picking weather fayors a larger out turn. Cotton goods display considerable strength, the print cloth market being strong, and prints and ginghams jobbing well. Woolen manu- factures are actively employed and they are said not to have very large stock on hand. thus strengthening the raw ma terial Improved retail trade at the east gives tone to the entire dry goods mar rrt.. kfx< tu full of interest. While pig iron is firm CT and the coke shortage continues, nec- essitatng shut downs in the Pennsylva- mia valleys and high premiums are paid for immediate delivery of what little iron is available, steel bi1lets have weakened partly because of the effects of foreign imports but also because of less urgent demand from some finishing mills. The heavier forms of finished material all re- tain their former strength. Structural iron and steel and plates for shipbuilding purposes rule strong but sheets are dull and slow. while steel rods tend to weak en- and tin plates are depressed pending the settlement of the question as to whether the plate mlh employees will ac- cept the cut in wages necessary If large contracts now going abroad are to be secured.
 A compromise on this point may be an- nounced at any time. That higher prices have exercised a deterrant effect on con- sumption Is easily demonstrable. A cut in the prices of wire and nails has al- | ready had the effect of encouraging con- | sumption. Hardware retains exceptional activity, both for light and heavy shorts. l and considerable sales of builders hard ware for next season are reported at diff l ferent markets.
 The boot and shoe trade continue active ! rX-4 aIe from the eastern industry shipments last week being the largest for months past. and exceeding even those of the same week a year ago, but they are still ten per cent less for the season. Leather Is pretty steady. Hides have displayed some softness, but are steadier by the strength of both sole and upper leather. The lum- Der business while naturally noting some quieting because of the advanced stage of the season, Is still in good volume where the weather conditions permit of the carrying out of the work. Demand for building materials continue active. In the lumber producing regions strength is the main feature. The southern lumber trade reports unusual activity. Something in the nature of a shortage in the worlds crop of sugar confronts the trade. The yield of beet sugar appears likely to be heavily reduced, and small falling off in the yield in the crop Is also noted. the net result being decline of about 10 per cent from year ago, which has been re- fiected in fractional advance of the raw product.
 Wheat, including flour, exports for the week ending October g aggregate 7,065.- 317 bushels, the largest total for fourteen months past against 5,240,5SS last week, 134 in this week last year, and 4s32- 97S in 1900 Wheat exports since July 1 ag- gregate S5. ,317 bushels against 100 056, 05l last season and 60 235.1 in 1900.
 Corn exports aggregate S4,564 bushels against 1S0,674 last week, 1,1SS 29S last year and S,365651 in 1900. For the fiscal year exports are 1642,S3O bushels against 16,133,131 last season, and 53. 400,3 ,342 in 1900.
 Business failures In the United States for the week ending Thursday number 194 as against 203 last week, 22S in this week last year, 161 in 1900, 211 in 1899 and 219 in 1898. In Canada for the week, g against b last week.