The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-12
JOBB|NG TRADE
REVEALS A GAIN
Improvement in Weather Con-
ditions Calls Activity
to Life.

NEW YORK, March 11.-Bradstreets
tomorrow will say:
Weather conditions have improved
and with them jobbing trade at leading
Western points. Southern spring trade
reports continue good, and recent rain
or snow in the Southwest, though so
light in some sections as to be of lit
tie service to winter wheat, has
frightened wheat reports from that
section. The iron trade also shows a
gain in activity and in prices OF crude
material. Transportation matters show
improvement, and with them supplies
of coke to furnaces and shipments of
goods to consumers. February gross
railroad earnings as a whole promise
to be somewhat better than the outlook
some time ago favored. Drawbacks to
general spring trade outlook are found
in the slowness of Eastern buyers to
take hold of spring goods and in seri-
Gus floods. Pacific coast trade reports
show a slight improvement.
The progress of the season has ap-
parently helped the iron and steel mar
kets. Increased activity and firmer
prices are noted for the cruder forms,
continuing the large buying by leading
interests last week. Finished products
are also more active, and increased
business is reported. The situation in
iron and steel pipe, wire, wire nails and
structural iron is reported a strong one
at Pittsburg. Practically the same re-
port comes from Chicago, where larger
sales of small lots of pig iron, rails and
railway shop supplies are noted.
From all over the country come re-
ports of special activity among agri-
cultural implement concerns. Reports
are that the car shortage limits the
ability of shippers to supply increased
demands for coke. A disturbing fea-
ture in the iron situation is, however,
the fact that, in the absence of any
agreement as to this years prices, in
dependent iron ore producers are offer
ing their product so cents to 81 a ton
below last years quotations. The
Eastern shoe and leather trades show
only normal activity. Chemicals, drugs,
glass and paints are. active. Lumber
is quiet at most Eastern markets. Fea-
lures this week have been shipments Of
wheat from Boston and Galveston to
New York to relieve spectators. Wool
is steady on hand-to- mouth demand by
manufacturers but stocks are not very
large.
- Wheat including -four exports for
the week ending March 10, aggregate
1,S64,632 bushels, against 1,643086 last
week, 3,366,796 this week last year,
2,9O6,25O in 1902, and 4,69O,9S9 in 1901.
From July 1, 1903, to date they aggre-
gate 11O,3O7235 bushels, against 1861
O42,932 last season, 1S2,643,201 in 1902,
and 139,198,5S7 in 1901. Corn exports
for the week aggregate 2,026,S10 BUSH
els, against 1,690,753 last week. 3,257, 999
a year ago, 1S3,414 in 1902 and 3,246,375
in 1901. From July 1, 1903, to date they
aggregate 41,9S4,162 bushels, against
37,75O, 200 last season, 22.160,S62 in 1902,
and 1885, 369742 in 1901.
Business failures in the United States
for the week ending with March 10
number 200 against 1875 last week, 176
in the like week in 1903, 224 in 1902,
207 in 1901 and 100 in 1900. In Canada
failures for the week number 81, as
against 10 last week and 20 in the like
week a year ago.