The San Francisco call., 1904-04-16
COOL WEATHER
A DRAWBACK
Winter Wheat and Spring
Planting Are Backward
on Account of the Cold
TRADE VOLUME SMALLER
Coal, Steel and Lumber
Are Active, but Cotton
Goods Production Is Slow

NEW YORK, April 15.-Rradstreet
tomorrow will say: Trade is still ir-
regular. with unreasonable cool wealth.
er the chief and the only drawback.
In some sections, notably the South
and portions of the East and West,
brighter weather has helped trade and
incidentally crop prospects, but the
poor winter wheat crop outlook in the
Ohio Valley, very cool weather in the
lake region and high water or frosts
in the Western part of the cotton belt
have affected business or retarded
spring planting. Foreign trade returns
have seemed to favor the manufacture
ing rather than the agricultural inter-
ests
Most measures of trade point to a
smaller volume of business than a year
ago, but it is to be noted that. while
slight decrease may be shown in
gross railway earnings for March, the
first quarters earnings will fall little
behind a year ago, showing that in
volume of products moved there is lit
tie difference from a year ago, and
that the railroads have so far this year
almost held their own.
The industrial situation has not been
entirely favorable Iron and steel, coal,
coke. lumber and naval stores inter
ests note either activity in production
and consumption or improved demand
from various sources, but the cotton
goods industry is curtailing production
steadily there is less activity in shoe
| manufa curing, due to severe winter
| weather curtailing demand or divert
ing it to rubber goods, which have been
active, and the building and other in
dustries are marred by labor troubles
which, while not involving large num-
bers of men, result in annoying and
expensive delays. The wOolen goods
demand is not up to expectations. The
strength of a large number of staples,
such as hides. leather, iron and steel,
cheese. tea, -four copper and lead, is
a noticeable feature
MARKETS ENCOURAGING.
While spring trade has been disap
pointing in many lines and immediate
business is not up to expectations, the
number of markets reporting good or
ders for future delivery is large. Col
lections show little or no Improvement.
Iron is rather quieter this week, less
edSeI0eSS 10 ODldlH SuppiAco VI Pi6 DC-
ing noted at several markets.
Wheat Gncluding fiour) exports for
the week ending April IA aggregate
1,213S55 bushels, against 1,s54,S70
bushels last week and 2,977,777
bushels last year.
From July 1. 1908. to date they as-
gregate 119,O5O,S59 bushels, against
l179,762,553 bushels last season.
Business failures in the United
States for the week ending with April
IA numbered 19S against POI last
week and 13O in the like week in 1903.
In Canada failures for the week
number 20. as against "a last week
and Is in this week year ago.
r. G. Dun & Co.'S Weekly Review of
Trade tomorrow will say:
ADVERSE LABOR CONDITIONS.
Tardy spring weather, following an
1 unusually severe winter, makes it diff
ficult to restore satisfactory trade con-
ditions, but it is encouraging to
find at many points this unreasonable
| weather the only cause of complaint,
and there is always hope that the early
losses may be made up, at least in
large measure, when the normal con-
ditions arrive. In the meantime sales
in all positions from producer to con-
sumner are larger than is desirable.
Aside from the cotton States, where
| business is brisk, the weeks dispatches
indicate that early gains were MAIN
| tanned, but little further progress oc-
Cured. Labor controversies are still
an adverse factor.
Railroad earnings in the first week
of April were per cent smaller than
| last year.
No definite check to progress in the |
iron and steel industry is discerned, al |
| though it lacks uniformity and in |
some departments it is difficult to find |
! encoura cement.
Firmness and activity continue in
the Chicago hide market and foreign |
dry hides are held steady by the
prompt absorption of arrivals.
Failures this week number 225 in |
the United States, against 2r2 last |
year, and 16 in Canada, compared |
with 16 a year ago.
|