The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-17
SOUTHERN RETAIL
TRADE IMPROVES
Movement of Merchandise Re-
SumeS Normal Proportions
GOOD DEMAND FOR IRON
Orders Most Pressing for Pipes-No
Letup In Call for Cotton Goods.
Shipments ExcelIent-A
Good Spring Demand.
GOOD DEMAND FOR IRON

New oYrk, February 16-Bradstreet's
today said:
Better weather and improved roads have
developed a stronger tone and greater sc-
tivity in distributive trade, increased de-
liveries of grain by farmers and slightly
| relieved the congestion in transportation
! lines, though the latter situation Is still
far from good. Cold weather and price
! concessions have helped to move remain
ing stocks of winter goods. rubber wear OF
all kinds has had a good SALE southern
reports are OF good retail trade doing,
and in the southwest preparations for
spring trade are being made by retailers.
! With wholesalers and jobbers deliveries
on orders are the main occupation, but
there is apparently little let up In the
demand for cotton goods for anything like
spring or summer delivery. Freer move
ment of grain has led to ease in wheat,
corn and oats. and enormous receipts of
cotton have made for similar condition
In this line. Recent advances in grain
have tended to retard export demand, but
shipments of cotton are of record proper
tions. The latter feature, indeed, is tho
most favorable element in export trade
at present, because high prices of bread
| stuffs, provisions, food animals and oils
tend to check foreign tal1ings of these
products. Prices of hog products are
strong and advancing. Good prices for
cotton and large sales of fertilizers point
TO a large il not record acreage in the
south.
Car shortage trouble is better In the
west except in North Dakota. Recent
stormy weather checks building. but signs
of revival are noticed at the west. Iron
prices for distant deliveries have eased,
but there is no sign of pressure to sell,
! though buyers for distant periods are re-
ported less ready to place orders.
Pig iron markets are quieter, and while
producers display no marked disposition
to force sales. quotations nevertheless
tend to lower figures. Spot iron is lower
| in the south, and In the west prices for
the last half delivery have declined so
cents a ton. Some steelmakers contend
that they cannot proftably dispose of
their outputs at the present price of pig
iron, and they have, therefore, refrained
from buying
Structural steel is showing more activ
ity. Coal is in better demand and stocks
of soft coal In the west are smaller, the
cold weather having tended to reduce sup
plies. Coke is firm. Copper is higher.
Bank clearings In the United States for
the week ending with February IA "a hol-
iday period aggregated 50, 701, 2l3, 498, 49,
below the same week last year. Excluding
New York City, the total is $1,05O,159,3 1863,
9 per cent below last week, but per cent
over last year
Canadian elearings aggregate $65, S91,
| a decrease of 1876 per cent from last week,
and of 7.3 per cent from this week a year
ago.
Business failures in the United States
for the week ending February IA number
204, against 1873 last week and 208 in the
like week of 1906
Canadian failures for the week number
%, as against Is last week, and Is in this
week year ago.
Wheat, including flour, exports from the
United States and Canada for the week
ending February a. aggregated 2,5O0,139
bushels, against SS19,930 last week and o.
| 951.6 42 this week last year. Flo rthe last
SO weeks of the fiscal year the exports
are 115,9S3614. against S9,921,12S in 1905.
Corn exports for the week are 1,sT,720
bushels, against q 407.Oss bushels last week
and 4.163S53 a year ago. For the fiscal
year to date the exports are 37,S4,517,
against 1922 GAS in 1905-06