The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-22
REVIEW OF TRADE.
Business Growing Better-UnsettIed
Conditions Exist In Pig
Iron Market.

II. @. Dun & Co.'S "W eekly Review
of Trade" says: Conditions continue
satisfactory outside the region Of spec
ulstlon, masy reports indicating fur
thet Improvement. During recent
months the two disturbing factors
have been labor controversies and
weather conditions. but each week has
brought better things in those two re-
spects until the outlook contains much
that is encouraging Crops are max
ing rapid progress, and the army of
unemployed is diminishing. Railway
traffic is heavy, earnings thus far re-
ported for July exceeding last years
by 1879 p3Y cent, and those OF 1901 by
1879 per cert. Unsettled conditions
still exist in forge ana foundry pig
iron markets. while Bessemer iron Is
only barely steady. The chief diliculty
appears to be the inclination OF pros
pectlvc purchasers TO wait for the low
est possible quotations. This Is q con-
ditlon to be expected in q declining
market, but appears unusually aggra-
waiting In the present instance. Cur
rent consumption IL heavy and the
delay Is only In connection with dis
tant deliveries. Structural steel be-
gins TO reflect the settlement Of labor
troubles in the building trades, but
several important undertakings have
been postponed until next year, two
large buildings at Pittsburg being con-
spicuous examples. Merchant steel
and pipe are in better demand, sew
eral large contracts being under nego-
| tiation. Steel rails are sold well into
I 1904 and other railroad equipment Is
still one of the best features In the
industry Southern iron furnaces and
steel mills are affected adversely by
the coal miners strike, although there
Is a belief that settlement will not
long be delayed. 1t is n season of un-
certainty in the manufacture OF cotton
goods. and nothing in the nature of
improvement can be expected until the
artificial position OF the raw material
Is radically altered. Western jobbers
are operating freely in the Boston foot
wear market, both on contracts for
spring goods and supplementary fall
orders. Eastern wholesalers are also
purchasing additional fall supplies.
and New England factories are fully
occupied. Failures this week were
2l3 in the United States against 213
last year, and 16 in Canada compared
/ with 20 a year ago.
Bradstreets says: The iron trade Is
quiet enough on the surface, but pro-
| duction and consumption are alike
enormous, though pressure OF the lat
| ter tends to ease in quotations for
iron and steel Western markets note
reductions in pig iron and billets. with
large business done at the conces-
sions, and Southern iron has been cut
without evoking much new business.
Wheat, including -four exports for the
week ending July 16 aggregate 3,652.-
! 7Sf bushels, against 2,3S0.410 bushels
last week, 3,775222 bushels this week
last year. 5,3S1, $50 in 1901, and g.
c29.3Sl in 1900. For two weeks oi
the cereal year they aggregate e033,
1914 bushels, against 8179,337 in 1902
10.2SS,029 in 1901 and 5,S59,291 in
1900. Corn exports for the week ag
gregate 400, ,404 bushels. against l.
| 525,0S4 bushels last week, 30,6S9
bushels a year ago, 1,714.0s1 BUSH
els in 1901 and 4,1S2,159 bushels in
| 1900.