The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-21
ALL CONDITIONS BETTER
Bradstreet's Notes an Improvement
in Jobbing Trade and in the
Car Situation,

New York, March 21.-Bradstreet's report Of
trade conditions for the week says
Excessive moisture is. the form Of heavy rains
aud foods. or Of merely bad roads, is an ap-
parent drawback to distributive trade. Over
against this, however, Is to be placed an i'm
provernent in jobbing trade at some leading
western centers shade better than heretofore
reported coNections, a percepttble easing of the
car shortage trouble and increased strength in
though perhaps more apparent than real. inn
provement In the labor situation, some strikes
having been avoided or settled but labor disturb
ance is still possible unsettling feature, par-
ticularly In the building trades. The Easter
season is one Of the latest on record. but actual
spring weather conditions are operative RS may
be Judged from the fact that lower lake navi-
cation is already pretty we'll opened. The next
two weeks will see applied the test Of demand II,
retail lines. Gross railway earnings for the frst
half Of March show an aggregate gain over last
year of fully IL per cent.
In prices the features are the further slight
strengthening Of cotton. Cotton goods have dis
played exceptional strength though waiting
hands. No effect on the higher level Of prices
In the shape of checked demand Ia, announced
by jobbers. however who almost universally
report the dry goods business this spring as the
largest record. AZ 5.-a : b.
The feature in the cereal markets has been
the very general easing OF prices, sympathized
in by pork and lard, among hog products. mainly
the result Of increased pressure of supplies and
smaller export business, though at the decline
the tendency of foreigners to come in Is noted
tllQeS are <sllSnCIy weaker Wnlle 1eatnef anu
finished products continue strong. Tin and cop
per. among the metals, after quite steady ad
vances, have weakened slightly. -. a..L-.
Strength Of prices is leading feature in 1roI
and steel at all markets. both at home and
abroad. Domestic production Is still unequal tt
demand. Foreign markets tor pig iron ane
| steel billets are reported higher. Eastern sea
board prices are also frmer, and steel btllets are
higher at leading western producing centers
Rather more is doing in iron ore in the centra
| west but higher prices seem to have denectet
! consumers from lake to imported ores on tht
| eastern seaboard. Finished materials are still
active the country over. Western mills are .solt
! far ahead. Wire and wire products are especial
| ly active and tin plate mills are running ful
| time. Hardware is active at all markets
| Rather more inquiry Is noted for pig iron a
Birmingham, though buyers and sellers are stil
! reported apart. Material for pipe manufactur
| ing has been advanced in price and in structura
| material the only unfavorable feature 1s the con
| tinuance Of labor trouble In construction lines
Lead is higher on the week, but copper and til
! are lower. = -......
Wheat. including -four, exports for the weel
ending March 10, aggregate 2.395. 69s bushels
against s,3e6,7e8 last week, 4.S2s; so4 In TIL
| week a year ago. and 3.256.644 in 1901. Whea
| exports since July aggregate 49, o.o46.52s bush
els. against 1e1, ,4aA 597 last season. and 146,
o6s in 1900. Corn exports aggregate 3,4oa'
OeS bushels, against 3,257 800 last week, 339,
SOL year ago, and 2,605,0 ,0sO In 1901. Fo
the fiscal year exports are 40, SsI .25S bushels
against q. 1914 ,7o1 last season and 141, ,59s, -
| In 1901. T.& - go, =:
| Business failures for the week ending wit
March 10 number 1914, against 116 last week
| 1877 in the like week of 1902. 231 in 1901 10
| in 1900 and 1872 In 1S99.. In Canada. for tn
week, failures number IA. as against 20 las
| week and 26 in this week a year ago. -,