The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1911-02-04
BUSINESS EXPANDS
some WHAT SLOWLY
Optimism Over the Future Is
More Pronounced
RETAIL TRADE IS QUIET:
Wholesale Lines Report Only Fair Bus
mess and General Industries
Show Continued Upward
Progress
RETAIL TRADE IS QUIET

New YORK, February 3.-Bradstreets To-
morrow will say:
| While optimism as to the future outlook
is rather more pronounced than on any
previous week this year. actual distribu-
tive trade is still quiet and business ex-
| pands rather slowly.
| Hot and dry weather in the southwest
high temperatures in the eastern half of
| the cotton belt and excessive rains in
California are Some of the obstacles noted
to full retail distribution, while at the
northern and western cities retail trade is
hardly up to expectations based upon
price reductions designed to move stocks
| of winter goods.
Wholesale trade Is hardly better than
fair and numerous sections of the country
| outside of the south, and a few parts of
| The southwest report that conservatism is
being exercised by merchants, particular
| ly those catering for industrial territory.
AT the same time the far western agri-
cultural states also note considerable eau
ton in making purchases.
| House trade has not yet opened up
in a large way, the season being too
early for buyers excursions, and trav-
cling statesmen are not sending in the
orders that were expected. Farm imple-
ments are actively in request and some
leading pillow manufacturers report the
largest orders ever booked at this sea-
| son.
| Improvement in the finished branches
of the steel trade continues to make prog
ress and operations tend to increase. Some
lines, as, for instance, wire and I'm
plates, have been favored to a greater
extent than others, but on the whole the
industry is cheered by the stronger un-
dertone of things. Demand for rails for
export holds up well. About 1900 tons
were ordered for domestic account this
week, but there is considerable business
to be booked.
Business failures in the United States
for the week ending February were 2S9,
as compared with 345 last week, 232 in the
like week of 1910, 2S6 in 1909, 272 in
1908 and 1873 in 1907
Wheat, including flour, exports for the
/ United States and Canada for the week
ending February 2 aggregated 2,32S, 40
| bushels, as compared with 2,132,5l3 bush
els last week and 2,465,69S this week last
year. For the 81 weeks ending February
exports are 73,169,9S6 bushels, COM
pared with 101, 900, 401 in the corresponding
period last year.
Corn exports for the week are 3,36S, 01O
bushels, as compared with 1881, 343 BUSH
els last week and ,240,069 bushels in 1870
| and are of the largest for any week since
February. 1906
| For the 81 weeks ended February 2
corn exports are 22.5S4,153 bushels, as
compared with Is, 1923 bushels last year
Dun's Weekly Review
New York, February S.-R. c.. Dun
G. Co.'S weekly review of trade to-
morrow will say:
Improving outlook in iron and steel;
greater interest in dry goods; larger
dealings in hides and leather; general
ly excellent crop advices; expand
ing market for bonds, facilitated by
the continuing ease in money; the in
dications of an increasing American
credit balance abroad due in part to
the better conditions in foreign COM
merce: and the action of the Union
! Pacific system in voting to spend 49,
100000 in the next few years in double
tracking the road-these are signs of
a forward movement which serve to
inspire larger confidence among bus
mess men in all branches of trade and
industry In spite of the fact that the
volume of transactions is still below
the normal point of outI ut.
Recent indications of improvement
| III iron ana steel nave become more
pronounced, with the result that the
future outlook is now viewed with in
creasng optimism. The tendency to-
ward greater activity has thus far been
confined chiefly to the finished ma
terial markets, get signs are not lack
ing of some revival of demand for pig
iron, although conditions in this di-
vision still make the least satisfactory
showing. However, reports from east
ern territory suggest that buyers are
displaying more interest which par
TALLY offsets the COMPLAINTS of quiet
ness in OF her directions
Export trade is still a prominent
feature in the present situation, one
order having just been placed for the
shipment of 10000 tons of rails to
Mexico
, Some fair sized mail orders are be-
ing received for boots and shoes but
in general business is not as good as
when buyers were personally inspect
ing the market. The call for special
ties is very active and indication are
that the demand for goods made from
cloth fabrics will continue undated
Prices are firmly held and the new
! discounts demanded by the tanners of
, leather have occasi1ned many protests
throughout shoe circles. Pronounced
activity rules throughout hide and
leather circles. with sales on a much
more extensive scale than has been
the case for a long period.
In the dry goods markets competi.
Y ton for business is very keen and buy
! ers are proceeding with deliberation.
Decisions In favor of buyers have
) been made by foreign and domestic pro-
! ducers of dress goods and other lines,
but the stimulating effect of close
2 prices is not especially marked as yet
J Jobbers are doing a steadily expanding
: business in do.nestics. prints. ginghams
land few other StapleS. T,imftatfo of
production continues, but distribution
does not expand Export trade is quiet
but the shipments for the week serve
Ito bring the movement FOR January