The San Francisco call., 1905-05-27
RETAIL TRADE
IS INF ROWING
Confidence in the Future
Is the Prevailing Senti-
ment Among the Dealers
RAIN RETARDS ACTIVITY
Money Is Abundant and Easy
and Commercial Payments
Are Generally Very Prompt

NEW YORK, May Or. G. Dun &
Co.'S Weekly Review will say tomorrow:
Improvement is reported in retail trade
although weather conditions are still far
from ideal and excessive rains retard ag-
ricultural progress sufficiently to cause
conservatism among Dealers yet conf
dence in the future is the prevailing sem
timent. Building operations make favor
able comparisons with recent years, and
there is little controversy regarding
wages or hours of labor. Foreign COM
merce at this port for the last week
shows little change in comparison with
the same period a year ago, exports de-
creasing s221,7 us. while imports gained
s500.s5s. Railway earnings thus far re-
ported for May exceed those of a year
ago by per cent and after falling to the
lowest point of the year prices of securi-
ties recovered materially Money is abun-
dant and easy, and commercial payments
are more prompt in most sections of the
country. No diminution OF strength is
noted In raw wool, and the mills are also
correspondingly firm in their views. Tan
ners have exhibited no interest in the
Chicago hide market during the past
week and as natural result quotations
show downward tendency.
The depression extends to imported dry
hides. Western country hides are rela-
lively firmer than other divisions of the
market.
Failures this week number 211 in the
United States, against 226 last year and 19
in Canada compared with II year ago.
Bradstreet's tomorrow win say:
Wholesale trade is reasonably quiet.
pending a clearer view of the crop out
turn, which, owing to irregular or unset
tied weather in wide areas. still lacks
definite form. Cool weather is still
bar to fullest activity at retail. Manufac-
turing activity Is still in large volume
on orders previously booked. Speculative
markets for wheat reflected the tech
nical conditions and short supplies in
primary markets more clearly than they
do the slight deterioration in quantity
and quality indicated resulting from
recent backward weather. Collections re-
fleet little more than seasonable slow
ness, and money is easy and in abun-
dance. Rather more friction in labor
matters is noted at Chicago. the expected
ending of the teamsters' strike being de-
layed Some few points of labor friction
are noted in other cities. Despite efforts
to accentuate less favorable happenings
for stock speculative purposes, there is
still abundant evidence that the country's
consumptive requirements are on large
scale, heavily exceeding year ago at
this time and the movement can be ma
terially quickened by more seasonable
weather, allowing of belated retail buy
ing materializing and ordinary crop de-
velopments occurring. Railway earnings
for the first half of the month of May
exceed a year ago by 65 per cent
Business failures in the United States
for the week ending May % number 179,
against 191 last week, 1874 in the like week
in 1904, 1S1 in 1903, 1913 in 1902 and 144
in 1901.
In Canada failures for the week num-
bered IA, as against II last week and IA
in this week a year ago.
Wheat Gncluding fiour) exports for the
week ending May 25 are 1,221, ,2O9 bushels,
against 1,125,550 last week and 1,132,-
157 this week last year. From July l
to date the exports are 1921, ,207
bushels, against 126,009,221 last year
and 15436O.7O9 in 1908.