The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-27
pUr's REVIEW.

New York, February 26.--R. G. Dun x Co.'S weekly review of trade will say:
 Tn addition to the interruption Of hoi- iday, trade and transportation have again suffered because of the severe weather and much out of door work was forced 10 await more favorable conditions. Devel- opment of spring trade Is naturally sloW' but this may be fully made up as the ses- sion advances. Business proceeds on a conservative basis that promises immuni- ty from the excesses that precipitated the recent set back Manufacturing plants are gradually restoring idle machinery. Staple commodities are still inflated by war manipulations, making It extremely difficult to ascertain the actual legitimate situation
 Foreign commerce at New York for the last week shows a los of $2.4S9,799 in ex- ports and a decrease of $2,549692 in im- ports as compared with the same week last year. Finances abroad were badly demoralized at the close of the last week and several important failures have since occurred, but there was no reflection in this country, and money continued easy. Aside from special pressure to sell foun- dry Iron. in order to meet ore payments, the market for pig iron is steadily though quietly expanding.
 Mild weather will soon revive much postponed structural work, and already the requirements of the railroads are be- ing felt Bars are sought by implement makers and other works and for plates and sheets the inquiries are increasing. There Is urgency for delivery of fuel, sup plies of household sizes of coal being un- usually low for the season.
 Mines and metals are dull and lower with the demand smaller than the supply.
 A slightly flrmer tone is discerned in cotton goods, particularly on forward business in heavy staples. There was a tendency downward until the return of speculative interest fin the raw material and the subsequent irregularity was not productive of any change in sentiment
 While eastern shoe shops are busy on old orders, wholesalers are not placing supplementary contracts, and little new business comes forward.
 The Chicago cattle market has grown dull with interest confined to packer ra- tive cows. Foreign dry hides are steady
 Violent fluctuations have continued in the great staples, legistimate influences upward being supplemented by manpu- lation and realizing sales are precipita- ting reactions. Wide changes from day to day in the leading commodities indl- cate an unwhoesome and undesirable situation that Is due to speculation, and that Is calculated to check or divert con- sumptive demand. Wheat lead the ad- vance and was closely followed by the minor cereals. Cotton recovered after the holiday only to react more sharply with heavy speculation at very cratic quotations.
 As usual in an irregular market. there was little legitimate business either for home or foreign spinners. The statisti- cal position grows stronger as the ses- sion advances, but on the other hand Preparations for rtcord-hrea King Nic,d also increases A further break sarried spot coffee to the lowest poInt since the recent campa gn was started.
 Liabilities of commercial failures thus far reported for February aggregate s10- FOG, 666 Failures this week numbered 240 in the United States against 211 last year, and 22 in Canada compared with 2S year ago.