New-York tribune., 1905-02-25
CONDITION OF TRADE.
''Dun's Review" says:

Better weather has greatly improved trade IN
many sections OF the country spring mershandis.e,
business and mercantile collections are more nor
NAL Interior buyers are placing oeTal nerai oT1eS M
work are hurried. Manufacturing lines have made
epeyp tRe TsTous sc divisions the steel
try, and textile mills are well engaged. shoeSn9ps
have ample spring business but orders for fall de-
livery are delayed by the recent advance In prices
tht M to Oy The Ea% material In al
most every branch of business there Is commence
W weather Winter wheat is in good condition, but
cotton planting G viii ayeTage mneh aTs s If rm man Rail-
way earnings for the month of February thus far
n s1 Psr at @ pert @ ns
another phenomenal record as to imports. P exceed
ports were 81 2321. 4os larger. A slightly hrmer
records for the season in the local security mar
ket to the activity Of which is is part partly due the
compared with the week last year At
oPe9 @ he IN t iron and
steel Industry A very liberal tonnage of pig iron
increasing. and the business is wen distributed
while quotations are firmly held. but not advanced
no evidence af uneasiness for the steady increase
be required Nor is the demand exhausted by
any means. negotiations being now in progress for
ming at nearer fun capacity that at any recent
1reers se coming m FORMS Of anme5 Ssrc
ary rolling stock and steel rails. There is enough
several months at the leading mills and in many
instances orders cover deliveries up to the end OF
the year.
"Bradstreets'' says:
With the exception OF a few lake and seaboard
points which show effects past bad weather. dis
tributive trade at most leading markets assumes
more favorable aspect. This is due to the spread
of mtlder weather conditions and the increase In
the number Of country buyers Especially active
lres are drygoods. notions boots and shoes rubber
goods hats, hardware and groceries which all DIS
play more life and inquiry Jobbers stocks gen
orally reported light, and the feeling grows that
spring trade will be heavy as ssasonabIe
weather definitely sets in. Relatively the best re-
ports as to trade from the central valleys and
the South. The tone Of advces from the latter
shows slight but still general Improvement. Mardi
Gras influences reflected in the reports from
New Orleans of improved tone while other points
note the influence of better weather and the slight
~ higher range OF cotton prices Texas roads in
very bad shape, but the feeling IS that improvement
is near at hand. Southern buying OF farm inple-
meras Is slightly smaller and credits being
scrutinized.
The general tendency of reports as to the winter
wheat crop is that the heavy snow covering has
helped the crop, which entered the winter INSULT
ciently provided with moisture. and favorabe re-
ports IN the future arc predicted Heavy rains on
the Pacific Coast have made for good crop pros
poets especially in California The drygoods trade
from Western distributing points. but fairly good
business is doing New-YOrk. Boston and Phila-
delphia despite holding back In cotton goods. IT.
regular prices for these goods a result OF IN
fictng conditions Of buyers needs and views and
of sellers necessities. WoolIen goods selling
fairly well though recent advances said to have
checked business in some lines Wool is slow OF
sale and easier in price grades. No stiffen-
fire al Boston. Shoe shipments from Eastern points
are larger than of late and slight gain last
year is noted. Paper is strong and sells well. and
paper stock sells readily at high prices.