The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-16
WEEKLY TRADE REVIEW
BUSINESS SITUATION HAS IRREGU.
 LAR APPEARANCES.
h the South, Prospects Are Bright Ow. Ing to the Practical Assurance of . Splendid Cotton
 CPOD.

New York, July 15.--Bradstreet's to- morrow will say:
 Diverse movements in trade indus try and speculation give an irregular appearance to the business situation. Distributfve trade and industry Is still qmet and even dull. awaiting clearer views of the crop turnout. Damage to the winter wheat by heavy rains is ad- mitted, though alleged to be exagger- ated. Disorganization in the slaugh- tering industry has followed a strike which If not settled as now seems like ly. will cause much evil. All meat prices have been advanced and cattle shipments checked.
 Railway gross earnings for the fiscal year will show an increase over the previous years. but are less clearly de- fined. The general undertone is one of confidence, Viewed geographically the South seems easily to have the best outlook, the cotton crop having pro- gressed so far with little or no draw backs except the original lateness of the spring. The outlook Is for an im- mense cotton crop. The Southern peach crop this year has been enormous and has been sold at good prices. Collections the country over are chased as little better than slow.
 Among the industries the iron trade | uotCS IHCTcdSeu QuIet, pTOuuCIlOH DelUB scaled down to meet receding consump- tion. The only change to note Is in creased firmness among Southern pro- ducers who find the strike of coal min CTS in the Birmingham district a strengthening feature. Finished pro- ducts are equally duii.
 The boot and shte industry is rather quiet and Eastern shipments are 7.5 per cent behind year ago.
 Rather more was reported doing in some kinds of cotton goods this week, some heavy export orders being re- ported at very low prices, but against this was a report that Fall River man. ufacturers would make further re- duction in wages. The cotton goods side of the market has unquestionably been much improved. Woolen goods manufacturers have been free buyers of raw material. the result being flrmness all along the line and a fractional ad- vance in prices.
 Foreign trade totals for the fiscal year are next to the largest ever re- ported. Imports are 3.5 per cent less than in 1903. and the aggregate foreign trade Is 1 per cent under that of the fiscal year of 1903. Cotton was the sheet anchor of our export trade while breadstuffs shipments fell to a low ebb Exports of manufactured goods, how ever. exceeded all previous years. Wheat. including flour, exports for the week ending July 14, aggregated 1,412,49S bushels against S7S,910 last week and S,652,754 this week last year From July to date the exports aggre- gate 2291,40o bushels against 6.033.194 1 last year.
 Corn exports for the week aggregate 574.920 against 613124 last week and 1,4O2,404 a year ago. From July 1 to l date the exports of corn aggregated 1,1SS,053 bushels against 2,927,4SS in 1903.
 Business failures in the United States
 for the week ending July IA number
 203 against 172 last week, and 'l73 in
 the like week in 1903. In Canada fail
 ures for the week number IS as against
 IA last week and 13 in the same week
 a year ago.