The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-22
GENERAL TRADE IS VERY CONSERVATIVE Irregular Weather Conditions
 Are Still in Control BUYING IS LIMITED Cotton Crop Movement Has Been Free While Reports From Leading In-
 dustries Show Very Little
 Change

New York, October 21.-Bradstreet's will say tomorrow:
 J Irregular weather conditions figure largely in the trade reports this week and are held mainly responsible for the rather smaller than expected volume of sales reported as a whole. Wholesale and jobbing business displayed the same caution and conservatism noted earlier and house buying was of hand-to-mouth character, though re- ports from some leading markets are of a volume of trade equal or superior to last year. In some leading whole sale lines, such as cottons. the active buying movement of the last few weeks seems to have subsided Shoe manufacturers report orders affected by unreasonable warm weather, but there is reported a slightly better feel ing in some lines of worsted goods and raw wool is firm.
 In the south the cotton crop move ment has been free and this with cool CT weather has made for a slight inn provement in southern trade and col lections.
 Reports from the leading industries are not greatly changed. Some long reported placed and there are intima- tions of good tonnage in rails short ly appearing. Pig iron is not greatly changed and stocks in the south are reported larger. An important item is the news that the leading interest Is seeking trade in finished products di rect with consumers, ignoring jobbers in those lines. Leading flour manufac- turing centers report a good trade in flour.
 Building activities tend to lessen as the season advances and a number of markets report trade in lumber below normal.
 Business failures in the United States for the week ending October 20 were 1s7 against 233 last week. PA in the like week of 1909, 231 in 1908, 220 in 1907. and 1S4 In 1S06
 Business failures in Canada for the week number S4, which compares with 34 last week and 30 in the same week last year.
 Wheat, including flour exports from the United States and Canada for the week ending October 20 aggregates 2,S44,675 bushels against 3.102,873 last wek and 5.S44,466 this week last year. For the 16 weeks ending October 20 exports are 2S,001,177 bushels against 43,116,730 in the corresponding period last year.
 Corn exports S1S.6SS bushels for the week against 642,262 last week and 395,592 in 1909. For the 16 weeks end ing October IT corn exports are 5,55z, 4o2 bushels against 2,1S4,1S7 last year.
 Dun's Weekly Review
 New York, October A.-R. G. Dun x Co.'S weekly review of trade tomorrow will say:
 The actual volume of trade is well maintained and the hopeful business sen- timent which has been evidenced the last two weeks continues. Retail trade is somewhat affected by the unreasonable warm weather, but reports from most of the leading cities are quite satisfactory and reflect a cheerful view as to the out look
 With prominent railroads signifying their intention to place more liberal con tracts for needed equipment next month, the outlook in iron and steel is now some what brighter.
 Conditions are still mixed at leading pig iron centers, although the aggregate volume of contracts coming 1orWard IS by no means small. The bulk of the demand is for immediate requirements only. In structural steel. current business Is not up to expectation, but greater activity Is looked for in the near future.
 The advance in brown goods, denims, tickings and plaids is the feature in the dry goods markets. Bleached cottons have sold freely to jobbers and manu- facturers, but fine and fancy cottons did not participate in the activity to any great extent. The demand has fallen off since cotton declined. Export trade Is restricted by high prices. Dress goods rule very quiet. but mems wear agents report a fair business. Western jobbers are doing a very fair business, but east ern market manifest conservatism.
 Orders for shoes again show some in crease this week, but the trade contin- ues considerably below the normal for this time of year. The leather markets are generally firm, but the demand is less active The domestic hide markets con- tinue to weaken and prices on certain kinds of packer hides have receded about E cent Trade is on a moderate scale and buyers are holding off mostly be- cause of large receipts of cattle in the west and the consequent increases in the SlouChtpr