Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-07-28
BRADsTREET's REPORT.
Crop Conditions Improve and Trade
Confidence Increases.

New York, July 27.-Bradstreets, Sat
urday. said: Crop conditions, par
ticularly as to corn and cotton, have
further improved and the confidence in
fall trade shows no. diminution but
rather an increase. The best advances
come. as heretofore, from the North
west and Southwest. In the former the
good results Of last year bid fair to be
surpassed, while in the latter the vast
improvement in agricultural prospects
over year ago finds reflection in a
very confident tone in nearly all lines.
In the South, too, the cotton and there
fore the trade outlook has been i'm
proved by the timely and beneficial
rains. Weather conditions in the East
have been depressing to trade in sea-
sonable goods and fall trade in dry
goods promises to be late A further
improvement is, however, noticed in
shoes and leather, and wool is again
higher in price despite manufacturers
holding back buying.
Among the industries iron and steel
are easily first in activity and relief
from the so-called pig iron famine is
sought in freer importations. The fruit
season is now in full swing and sugar
consumption promises to be very heavy
The labor situation is on the surface
unchanged, but the signs of activity in
anthracite coal mining increase.
1t has been a week Of high records in
prices generally. Produce Is still high
despite fiattering crop prospects. Oats
have suffered the predicted squeeze and
reached the highest price of a genera
| ton, range cattle and Texas hides have
| surpassed all records and fine tobaccos
have also reached best-on-record
quotations. On the other hand the
cereals, cotton and hog products, re-
fleeing the improved crop reports, are
lower. Coffee. though galvanized by
speculation, drags painfully owing to
existing large stocks and good Brazil
crop conditions. Railroad earnings
show gains of over ) per cent. so far
FOR July.
The first rush of buying through road
statesmen of dry goods and allied lines
is over at the West. Business in July
at Western centers is satisfactory and
August is expected to see a still better
movement. Business is also improving
ut the East. Boston is full of shoe
buyers and they are taking goods free
ly for immediate shipment and giving
liberal sample orders. Shipments are
20 per cent. larger than last week, but
~ per cent. smaller than this week a
year ago and for the season are IL per
cent. smaller. Eastern leather men re
port more inquiry, but tanners are de-
spordent owing to the high prices of
hides and the difficulty of obtaining
corresponding advances in finished
products. 4 number of leather manu-
facturers are reported curtailing pro-
duction.
With pig iron consumers clamorous
for supplies, the balance of this years
production is already booked. In hard
ware the activity is notable. Tin and
copper have weakened under freer
offerings.
Wool is not especially active, but is
held higher at leading Eastern centers.
Cotton goods are practically I'M
changed in price. Reports of Southern
mills undertaking Fall River for print
cloths attract some attention.
Decreases in the European visible
wheat supplies outweigh small in
creases here. and prices early were
strong, helped by reports of flood dam
age at the West Favorable weather
|
to have cornered themselves at Chi
cago, mostly owing to the very small
supplies of old crop and the delay in
marketing the new. Hog products
have weakened pretty steadily.
Wheat. including flour exports for the
week ending July "A, aggregate 3-9s0,9s9
bushels, against 3,775,222 bushels last
week and 6,974,526 bushels in this week
last year. Corn exports aggregate 49,
Gil bushels against 1869 bushels last
week and 1,155,276 bushels last year.
Business failures for the week end
ing July p, number 11S as against ia
last week and 1873 in this week last
year.
In Canada-On the whole the stu
alton in Canadian trade and Industrial
lines is satisfactory. Crop reports are
favorable. although hay and wheat al
ready cut suffered some from rain.
Failures number 16, as against l.
last week and 81 in the week last year.
q