The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-18
REVIEWS OF TRADE
NUMBER or UNEMPLOYED IS NOT
 DIMINISHED.
This Has Impaired Retail Conditfons which are DuIl-Productfon of Steel and Iron fs
 Reduced.


 New York April 17-Bradstreet's to- morrow will say:
 Easter trade at retail. though ahect- cd in sections by unfavorable weather, is on the whole fair.
 Collections show slight improvement at a few centers and filling in orders by jobbers are a triie better but re- ports from leading industries are no more favorable, Rather more weak, trade in leading lines Is still disap- pointingiy backward.
 The dullness in building lines-ex- penditures for the first quarter being 70 per cent below 1s07-affects all lines of materials and export and im- port trade are ebbing. indicating the preceding fiscal year noted for five
 The number of idle hands is as large tons curtail buying power and tho number of failures continues far ahead of a year ago.
 and steel markets and production Is smaller than 1t was few weeks ago: Business in pig iron Is very light ana lower prices have been made 10 at- Finished iron and steel are likewise quiet and rail orders are only fair.
 Plates are exceptionally yria, dg.i ana ana ticularly in the Chicago district have named some low quotations on business recently booked. although there Is no evidence that the shapes have brought lower than list sprices. New demand for structural material is fair. track elevation and railway bridge building causing the bulk of the business. Bar iron is weak and this adversely affects steel bars. Tn fact. the widespread ex- ecution of lower prices seems to have superinduced waiting mood on the part of purchasers in general. but the leading producers insist that prices will be maintained.
 for the week ending April IS number 2e1. against 25S last week, 167 in the like week of 1902, 1s7 in 1906, 1S3 in 1905 and 193 in 1904
 Canadian failures for the week end- ing April Is number 2s, as against 2s last week and IS in this week year
 Wheat. including flour. exports from the United Statesand Canada for the week ending Ajril IS Aggregated g. 47o.I77 bushels, against 2,45loss last and 4,1is1os in 1902. For the forty ports are 174,s79, ,6ss bushels. against lss.ss5,s2s in 1s06-o7. and 2o6.0ss.2s1
 Corn exports for the week are 2s2.- sss bushels. against 545,714 last week year to date the exports are 4s,244,o5s bushels against 5s,e0o.2o1 in 1soe-07
 Dun,s Trade Review.
 New York, April 17-R. c. Dun & Co.'S weekly review of trade tomor- row will say:
 able weather accelerated retail distri- button of merchandise, but there is no evidence of increased activity in prep aration for future business nor are extensively. In fact, some net cuFtail- ment of output is noted and more re- ductions in wages have occurred, par xicularly- at textile plants.
 There is an Increased demand for farm hands and some disputed wage scales have been signed but little change can be diseerned in the total number of unemployed.
 Postponed structural work is start ed very slowly. Only a moderate tonn- age of pig iron has been taken during the past week and merchant furnaces had made concession fin order to get business. but the meeting of iron pro- ducers has tended to steady the mar ket. Some sales for export are record cd although much less foreign business has been consummated than was at
 Furnaces in the Pittsburg region pro- luce a little more freely but new oP- ders are not as frequent as during the first three months of the year. In finished steel the lighter lines. such as tin plate and wire products, still com mand rnostrattention and there is con- siderable business pending in pipe Tor
 In almost all departments of the in- dustry the easier terms available en- courage prospective purchasers 10 de" lay.
 Primary markets TOT textiles are In better financial condition because more bills are being discounted. but jobbers are doing a limited business and re- ports from road men are not Eratify- Ing. The chief drawback in the cotton goods situation isT the question of quo- tations, concessions being granted so readily that purchasers are naturally confined to immediate needs.
 Negotiations for cotton goods that dropped because of the further severe price of raw material There is no encoura cement in the outlook for ex port trade in the near future.
 As to the woolens. the demand for certain descriptions of mems wear con- tinues gratifying, but duplicate orders for fall goods still await results from clothier's salesmen on the road. De- mands are most urgent for brown and tan fancy worsteds in light weight spring goods.
 Footwear markets at the East are quiet, the jobbing demand from all sec lions being backward. Factories at the West, especially St. Louis. are cut tingon a relatively larger scale than New England. Although there is a bet ter demand for nearly all kinds of leather. tanners usually make conces- sions and the large buyers of hemlock sole secure deliveries at sabout 1 cent below the prices current a few weeks ago.
 More business Is recorded in belting butts, but sales are still on the basis of 35 cents and some not quite up to standard.
 WEEKLY LOCAL COTTON STATEMENT.