The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-22
IS WELL MAINTAINED
DUN's REVIEW SAYS BUSINESS
 KEEPS UP WELL.
Remarkable Increase of August Earnings of Railroads is shown. Probable Increase of Buying
 Over Other Years.

New York. Aug. 2l.-R. c. Dun and Company's weekly review Of trade tomor-
 Business is well maintained. aside from the quieting influence of the vacation sea- retarSs M e collectiens' eMha Labor controversies I still exist. curtailing the output of few products and the consumption of all the neeessary ne things of frs,v life Crops are not @ though the agricultural outlook Is dis 0nctly favorable. In spite of several ob- yious reasons for expecting a check to freight traffic, earnings of railways thus far reported in August show an average gain of 96 per cent over last year and lS.2 per cent over 1901 Complaint is be- ginning to be heard regarding the made quate facilities of the railroads and 1t now appears that inconvenience and loss must again be experienced, notwithstanding the extensive improvements, Sensational at this enter and the fabulous sums that they spend cannot be accepted as statis- tically accurate. but it is probable that an increase over all previous years Is actual ly occurring despite the demoraliZation fin cotton goods caused by speculation ill the raw material.
 Although production of coke at Con- nellsville has been moderately curtailed, supplies accumulate and prices are de- pressed. A fairly liberal tonnage of iron has been placed during the past week pro- yiding abundant demand for all the pig that Is being made. More large contracts for iron and steel have been placed by a prominent manufacturer of agricultural machinery and as much of this business has been held back on account of prices, 1t is believed that no further concessions are to be expected.
 Makers of cotton goods find no business offering except such small orders for im- mediate requirements as emanate from urgent dealers.
 ems and worsteds have been placed for spring delivery. Heavy shipments of shoes from Boston make striking compar- ume of new business promises to maintain heavy movement, but there is ten- Idency to operate moderately and frequent ly this year, rather than to buy seldom and largely.
 Somewhat easier prices for the great food staples testify to brighter crop pros poets.
 Failures this week numbered 23S in the United States against POT last year and 8 in Canada, compared with 90 year ago. Bradstreet's Review. New York, Aug. N.-Bradstreet' tomor-
 Weather and crop conditions are still
 the keynotes to fall trade. In the North
 eSt ,5 so1thwest So1d and South buyers are whole are as good or better than a year ago. In the East fall jobbing has started. Retail trade is seasonably quiet ana collections are reported backward in | number of instances.
 Among the great industries few import ant changes are noted. One of the noted developments is the general softening of | pig iron prics following the heavy buy | Ing of two weeks past. Fewer industrial
 operatives are on strike now than for | months past but the idleness of cotton | mill operators tend rather to increase. The lumber trade is active West and North but in the East it has not as yet
 recovered from the depression induced by | labor troubles.
 | Shoe manufacturing is notably active. | the country over and Eastern shipments are breaking all records.
 Leather is reported firm but quiet as a whole. the shoe manufacturers buying on- l ly rom hand to mouth.
 Weakness in Southern foundry iron is noted at Eastern markets and Bessemer
 pig iron Is reported offered at $1 per ton
 lower at Pittsburg than week ago with evidence; Large buying of pig iron is less 1 noticeable, than 1t was one or two weeks | ago. Steel billets are less active but fair | iy firm. Merchant bars, sheets and plates | In finished products are reported in much better call, but the demand for structural material is light. Copper was marked up
 this week. partially. 1t is thought, to af- feet stock market quotations.
 Wheat, including flower, exports for the week ending Augusct 20, aggregate S,372, IS.
 bushels against 3,A3.191 last week. For seven weeks of the cereal year they az
 gregate 1 ,S33 233 against 31 ,3S9, ,769 in 1902 | Corn exports for the week aggregate
 6OS 495 against 707, 3S7 last week For seven | weeks Of the cereal year they aggregate 7 45S,975 against 639, ,509 in 1902.
 Business failures in the United States for the week ending August 20 number 166 against 160 last week and 181 in the
 like week of 1902.