The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-04-25
WEEKLY TRADE REVIEW
DUN AND BRADsTRET SUM
 lGARIZE sITUATIoN.
Wholesalers Report Conservatism as Compared With Earlier Months
 of the Year-Complaints
 Heard as to Collections.

notaDic acuvtty appearing Tn seaSonaDle | report conservatism as compared with earlier months this year, although busi- | ness Is more active than it was year ago. Some branches are still backward
 and there is more or less complaint re- gardfng collections, while renewals arc, | frequently asked Outdoor work is vigor- | ously prosecuted, agricultural communi-
 es endeayoring to make 1ns. up lost es time quantities of lumber and building mate rials, sustaining quotations. Labor prob lems are being solved with encouraging
 sssr's ss ee. Iafs a seaHRns reaass nsS ns eon aas sestion and shipments are more in the splendid increase of gross railway cent. over last years hsufes for April thus far. and 2.s per cent. over 1901. Three facts are especially noteworthy as to the situation in iron and steel in- counted for complaint. on the contrary in some cases deliveries are so large as to threaten accumulation and predictions as to the permanence of high prices have ceased. Ample supplies of fuel make it possible for blast furnaces to turn out pig iron in abundance as ,hls was the only draw back and e new high water mark of pro April Augmented stocks of coke and pig iron, however, fail to result in suffi- cient steel as yet billets betug in urgent request. A rail mill has commenced work contemplated which indicates the pres-. sure as steel rails are more readily mar keted ythan any other product.
 Settlement of structural labor troubles has renewed activity on buildings and bridges which revives interest In steel. Billets will be brought from abroad at the earliest possible date, but there has
 been difficulty in securing sales as for ot<r rAl, olo hnl Inc ar 0Y1- tracts. Pig iron Is still unsettled as to
 price with buyers placing contracts con- servatively.
 While dry goods have enjoyed better demand on account of fine weather con ditions. prices at leading textile mills
 have not materially improved. Orders are chiefly confined to specialties- Until cotton can be purchased more cheaply there is little prospect of generally lower quotations for goods, and. on the other hand, purchasers exhibit no inclination | to advance bids or even buy freely at
 present lists. Last weeks slight i'm nm,
 barely maintained. Clothiers complain or tardy deliveries of samples which may affect subsequent business.
 New England manufacturers Of boots and shoes report reasonable lack of new
 business and further contracts from job. bers are not expected during the next fortnight Sole leather Is more active at unchanged prices,
 Increased activity and strength has
 come in Chicagoan packer hides with the advancing season. Fluctuations in quota tions of the great staples have been less extensive during the past week. with slightly higher level as the net result and only a fair degree of activity
 Failures this week were 166 in the United States against PIP last year, and fifteen in Canada as against IS a year ago. New York, April 2.-Bradstreets to- morrow will say: Trade and industry progresses well despite drawbacks in the shape of numerous labor troubles and cool backward weather conditions in some sections. Retail trade, as whole. Is fair. Collections continue to siowiy but steadily improve. Manufacturing in-
 dustry was never so active except per haps in the textile trades, where few labor troubles limit cotton goods produc- | {fon but in iron and steel, lumber, shoe manufacturing machinery and a multi tude of other lines, production is close | to the maximum. Railroad earnings | continue large. The shut down of the | Northwestern four mills proved to he lower rates for the product. has evidently been gained, judging from the increased outgo of flour from nearly all shipping | centers.
 l With the natural Iull in wholesale trade | has come some discussion as to the fall l prospects in this branch Of business. hut 1t is worth noting that fair volume of | orders for fall delivery has already been ! i is in heavy weight woolens.
 | The line of demarcation between crude I and finished forms of iron and steel has become more distinct this week Pig and buyers are backward, evidently hop l ing for further concessions, while the lat ter part of the years requirements are reported still unplaced. Against the noted the strength of steel and finished | products in nearly all lines. Steel billets and sheets are very scarce. Much new
 work has to be postponed because Of in- are reported changing over to turnout l billets. Foreign steel is active at East
 ern markets. while imported iron is In
 slack demand The demand for structu- ] ral material Is reported undiminished de- l spite the uneasiness in labor circles. The | volume of new work offered and pro- l jected is heavy and this with the demand
 from other sources rsnd&rs some som antnorI- I in pig iron will or can spread to the fin- ] ished forms.
 The effect of the present high prices of cotton on the manufacturing branch is ton goods are holding back and are very slow to commit themselves. Raw wool,
 while dull. is rather firmer in tone and
 kets are that the new clip will be held
 at from 1 to cents pound above last
 seasons opening quotations. Dress
 woolens are in good sale. but mems wear
 heavy weight goods are rather back
 ward. Grocery markets have been &C.,
 tive this week.. the leader therein being
 sugar which continues It's advance from
 the low point reached some weeks ago.
 The advance of the season has weakened
 prices of butter and lard. among hog
 products. is lower on increased stock.
 The great majority of staples, however,
 show a striking steadiness
 Wheat dncluding flour) exports for the
 week ending April 2S aggregate 3,SSS.542 bushels. against 2.977,77 last week, 3.75O.- s5s this week a year ago, and 42S2, ,129 in 1901. Wheat exports since July 1 aggre- gate 1s5.O7s,09S bushels against A0. .33S last season and Ill 66O, ,33s in 1900.
 Corn exports aggregate 1,499,905 bush- els. against 1,6T 6Z1 last week, 376,1s6 a year ago and 1, ,34E356 in 1901.
 For the fiscal year exports are 53169 795 bushels, against 25,399. .s3l last season and 154 266 545 in 1s01.
 Business failures in the United States for the week number i52 against 16O last week; 1s1 in the same week of 1902; N4 in 1901; 1S2 in 1900 and 1s4 in 1899.
 Canadian failures for the week number B. against IS last week and 20 in the week year ago.