The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-13
TRADE HAS
 BRIGHT OUTLOOK
Industrial Activity Greater Than
 At Any Recent Date
COKE BLOCKADE STILL ON
Capacity of Pig Iron Furnaces Has Been curtalled on Account of the Inadequate Supply
 of Fuel.

New York. September 12.-R. c. Dun & Co.'s weekly review of trade win say tomorrow:
 Industrial activity is greater than at any recent date Many new factories and mills have been added to the pro- ductive capacity facilities are being in- creased at old plants and idle shops re- sume through the settlement of labor controversies. A coke blockade still ex- ists, the railways being unable to handle the output which Is above all records and in urgent request. Despite the rapid development of transportation facilities, the nations needs has grown still faster and the situation Is distressing for ship pers and consumers. Large crops are being harvested and the greater abun- dance of foodstuffs caused a decline in prices of commodities during August of S.5 per cent as measured by Dun's index number. Retail trade is large with a bright outlook for the future in jobbing and wholesale business. There are few of the cancellations so numberous at this time last year, while collections are an improvement An advance of 22.9 per cent in bank exchanges at New York over the same week last year cannot be explained by speculations as dealings In stocks were also heavy in 1901. Railway earnings in August exceeded last year by 4.3 per cent and thesesof 1900 by 1S.1 per cent.
 Although the weekly capacity of pig iron furnaces in blast on September was reported as S35, ,1S9 tons by the Iron Age. It has since been appreciably cur tailed by the inadequate supply of fuel on which account numerous furnaces were blown out or at least banked. As consumptive requirements are increasing it is necessary to place orders abroad more extensively and in some cases the entire output of foreign plants has been secured. Not only raw material, but billets and even rails are sought in other markets German mills offerings the best terms in most cases. Heavy im- portations have prevented advance in quotations, but domestic producers have ready sales for their output, contracts stili runnings far into the future. Rail- ways are in great need of new locomo- tives and other equipments.
 New England producers of boots and shoes are insisting on full prices and some grades that were slow to respond are now sharing the improvement. No sign of weakness is seen in leather. some 
 the better grades of sole and beltng butts. Slight reactions have occurred In some packer and country hides, but most lines are still firmly held. Liberal re- ceipts have not depressed foreign dry hides. Textile mills are well occupied, with prices sustained in all cases and moderate advances in some cotton goods which are in demand for quick delivery. With the completion of early orders there has come a quiet market for woolens and worsteds, but mills have large contracts on hand.
 Low stocks of wheat and poor grading of receipts, together with fears of frost in corn sections, sustained quotations when a decline would have been lmme- nent if full confidence were placed in officials of returns of conditions.
 Failures for the week numbered 205 in the United States against 193 last year and 22 in Canada against IS a year ago.