The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-11-03
IMPORTS ARE ONLY
 RELIEF FOR IRON Cold Weatheris Stimulating Re-
 tail Trade ORE SHIPMENTS IMMENSE Seasons Movement Is Expected to Reach a7,ooo,ooo Tons-steel Rails In Fair Request-Easine
 Prices In Cotton.

New York, November 2.-Bradstreets s tomorrow will say:
 Clear and colder weather has impro, ed retail trade and stimulated recorder bust ness greatly. resulting in a record Oeto- Der trade with jobbers besides helping the coal trade and kindred lines. h. dustries are active, labor scarcity is still a feature, iron and steel markets are ad- vancing and large imports are the only apparent source of relief. Cotton goods are trihe quieter but very firm, because of scaracity of supplies, while woolen goods have been stimulated by good re- ports as to retail sales of heavy cloth ing. Holiday trade preparations and sales have been so far encouraging. Spring business is in good volume as whole.
 The only really hurtful development, itself an outgrowth of superabundant prosperity, is the growing tension as regards the transportation facilities. Col lections are irregular. southern payments being better, while grain blockades inter fere with western and northwestern re- ceipts. It has been a week of easing prices in cotton. and values of both spot anu lulultS dit loMtls Y dhbic oA iVNNht frosts to do damage is indicated Wool prices are rather steadier as the large transactions of the past two weeks have liter a load from dealers hands. In finished textile lines there has been some what of a Hull in cottons, due as much to large advance orders booked and scant supplies as the natural quieting down of fall demand. All makes of goods are strong in price and confidence is general; in woolens the better weather has made for a better tone. Pig iron prices con- tinue to move upward. the advances rang ing from S1 to & per ton on goods pur- chased for 1907 delivery. Demand for prompt supplies, which appear to be grow ing scarcer, is more insistent. Foreign iron is being engaged in volume and No. l Scotch brings $23 at tidewater. while No. 1 Middlesboro is quoted at S2l 50 to $22. the spread between domestic and foreign makes being much less than on preceding heavy import movements
 Ore shipments in October eclipsed pre- vious records and the seasons movement is expected to approximate S,00O.000 tons. It seems to be agreed that next seasons s minimum price of Mesaba Bessemer ore will be $5 a ton at Lake Erie ports. Steel rails are in fair request.
 
 steel car works are specifying freely and some good sized orders for ship plates have been placed. Leather has been ac- tive at Boston, 20O.0o0 sioes of Hemlock soles changing hands. Business failures in the United States for the week ending November 1 number 163. against 1S4 last week. and 160 in 1905. Canadian failures for the week number 21 as against 20 last week and 26 in this week a year ago.
 Wheat including four exports from the United States and Canada for the week ending November l, aggregated 4, 492, ,974 bushels, against 5.lSS.S17 last week, and 62S3.399 this week last year. For the past eighteen weeks of the fiscal year the exports are 62.666, 469 bushels, against 33.255, ,S27 in 1905.
 Corn exports for the week are 1,3OO.221 bushels, against 1.495,Iu last week, and 1,OO9 21O a year ago. For the fiscal year to date the exports ore 14.616,159 bushels, against 1S,9S6,773 in 1905.