The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-14
WEEKLY TRADE REVIEW
DEMAND ACTIVE WITH GOOD
 PRICES PREVAILING.
Drawbacks are Bad Roads, High Waters and Labor Trc ubles at the East and West-Collec-
 tions are Poor.

New York, March 13.-Bradstreet's to- morrow will say: Demand is active, with staple prices strong and close to record levels, despite drawbacks in the shape or bad roads, labor troubles East and West and heavy rains overtlowing rivers and backward farm preparations at the South The continued reports of slow and even poor collections noted for some time past are accentuated bv perhaps partly the re- suit of the bad condition of the country roads consequent upon the change in the season. Labor troubles. present and pros pective, especially harrass building trades consuming iron and steel in the metrop- olis The traffic congestion though im- proved, still affords the transportation of coke, lumber, flour and grain. Rail- road earnings are simply magnificent for this time of the year, the roads for Feb ruary showing gains of IA per cent in gross receipts and the March returns are fully as favorable. Export trade showed a very notable gain in February in many lines but particularly in the shipment of corn and cotton Retail busi- ness generally has been checked by weather conditions but this has not mili-
 tated with business with jobbers. The lumber trade continues active the coun-
 try over. Prices are firmer at close to
 the top quotations. The only complaint Is
 that congested railways render quick de- iveries impossible.
 The much feared check to trade caused by past heavy advances in staple prices as yet has failed to materialize. The present level of commodity prices is at the highest point reached in three years February movement was very generally upward, forty staples advancing, while only fifteen declined and what Is perhaps and what is more impressive, hfty-two products remained stationary and un- changed. Compared with year ago one half of all staples are higher. while only one-third are lower New features are the expansion noted in demand for crude and finished iron and steel. very heavy advance in the price of copper, claimed to be due to alleged increased consump- ton and export takings; higher quota tions for lead. firmer cotton. accompanied
 by great excitement and wide fluctuations
 and quite steady cereal prices, astonish- ingly little weakness shown in this lat ter line. despite numerous bearish fea- lures. The unsettlemeat in raw cotton
 early tended to discourage demand for cotton goods at wholesale however, well, | sold ahead
 Wool is fairly steady with rather more | inquiry in New England. Considerab ble | sales of Bessemer pig irons are reported
 in Pittsburg, while Chicago tells of a
 liberal business doing in malleable and | foundry grades. Structural material, bars,
 plates and wire products have all been | active Copper, lead and tin are all firm
 CT. largely in sympathy with advances | in London. Orders for shoes at Eastern l markets are quite liberal shipments for
 the week being per cent larger than i for this week a year ago. Wheat. including flour, exports for the
 week ending March 12, aggregated 3,366.-
 146 bushels against 3,491 ,4ss vast week;
 2.906, ,25O in this week a year ago and
 4,69O, ,399 in 1901. Wheat exports since July
 aggregated .93O bushels. against
 1s7,16S,293 last season and 145,A6.l9 in
 1900.
 Corn exports aggregated s.2S7. .sss bush | els, against 3,S176O9 last week, iS3,E4 a
 year ago and 3.246575 in 1901. For the fis- | cal year exports are 37.S1519S bushels
 against 23654S1O last season and 135, ,9S3.- | 036 in 1901.
 l Business failures in the United States | for the week ending March 12 number | 1e against I'll last week 222 in 1902, POI in | 1901 and 191 in 1900 and 2O5 in 1899.