Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-22
TIE STATE OF TRADE
AUGUST EXPORTS SHOW IN
MENsE INCREASE.

r. G. Dun's Weekly Review of Trade for
the past week says:
Unreasonable high temperature in some
sections Of the country retarder distribu-
ton OF fall goods, but with the assist
ance Of special sales, reduced stocks of
summer merchandise to a most satisfac-
tory position. High rates for money have
delayed mercantile collections somewhat,
and there is still complaint regarding the
scarcity Of labor, but confidence in the
future remains mistaken. Preparations
for winter and spring keep machinery well
employed, large crops are being secured,
and building operations are very heavy.
The volume Of domestic trade is beyond all
records and foreign commerce exhibits
some striking comparisons. Total mer-
chandise exports in August were valued at
about $12,OO0OOO more than the same month
in any previous year, and imports rose
s1O,O00,O0O above the preceding record for
August.
Foreign trade at this port alone for
the last week showed gains of 1857
compared with 1905. Traffic blockades are
frequent, despite increased facilities that
made possible a gain of Ill per cent In
railway earnings In September thus far.
altered, the mills operating a large per-
centage of machinery without having much
new forward business
Footwear jobbers have not been oper-
ating in case lots for spring delivery dur
Ing the past week, which made trade some
what more quiet and shipments from Bos-
ton fell behind those of the corresponding
week last year, but eastern wholesalers
are placing duplicate orders for fall goods,
maintaining strong market.
Commercial failures this week in the
United States as reported by r. G. Dunn
& Co., are 200, against 174 last week. 1873
the preceding week, and 2O6 the correspond
ing week last year. Failures in Canada
number 49, against % last week, the pre-
ceding week and "a last year.
Bradstreet's Review.
Bradstreet's report Of trade conditions
says:
The prosperity of the farming COM
munity, is such that a general holding
movement would have an important effect
upon the return flow Of money from the
country. The demand from the country
for currency is still very heavy, and high
rates are looked for, despite heavy gold
imports, until after October l. when the
crop movement Is expected to enlarge.
Business failures are down to the mini
mum, bank clearings continue to expand,
and current gross railway earnings ex-
coed last year by fully Ii per cent. Car
shortage troubles are complained of in
many places. and something like another
squirt has occurred in buying by railways
of new material such as rolling stock and
rails. From nearly all parts Of the coun-
try complaints of labor scarcity come, the
pinch being apparently greatest at present
in the cotton fields. All in all, the situa-
ton is very satisfactory one, the lead
ing drawback being friction growing out
Of an excess of business Offering for facili-
ties employed.
pig iron for prompt delivery commands
high i.gures. In finished lines large orders
are being awarded. and demand for
prompt shipment Is insistent Crude steel
is scarcer than ever, which brings up the
question of heavy importing