New-York tribune., 1911-10-21
CONDITION OF TRADE.
"IllIn's ReyicW' saws !.

"Dun's Review says;
Immediate requirements 10 repienish de-
pleted stocks. coupled with lower prices ere
mainly responsible for a continued increase
iu trade activity. The improvement Is CON
servatiye but II is steady, and II IS nouCe-
able IN nearly every large trade centre. ne
large crop and early maturity OF col.odI
making for lower prices. is working read
iustrnent in the cotton goods trade on the
basis of increased activity. The result is Il
RESUMPTION of operations in mills that were
idle and an increased production IN mllis
that were working part time; Large sales
are also reported in the wool market, ana
In the dry goods trade generally there Is - q
quickened movement. whlch. althousn II
NAV not have any farreaching significance.
is at least for the time being very cheer-
ing The leather tI>ie also displays a
spirit among buyers of willingness 10 oper-
ate. Hides are active and strong. furtner
concessions in prices are reported IN TN
plates. and the lower prizes Of steel prod
ucts seem attractive 10 many buyers ana
new business is reported. while projected
great public and corporation works give
Tronise of large future demand for struct-
ilral steel materials There is no change IN
the fundamental conditions or business
other than the apparent disposition TO pro-
vide for the large immediate consumptlNe ue-
mands freely, leaving larger considerations
growing out Of pending economic and in
ternational problems for the future;
Foreign trade continues Of good proper
tions. and exports from New York during
the latest week were Sl4O92.116, rs COM
pared with S13.722.554 in 1910 and SILL
qO27S6 in 1909. while imports were $l4,-
5O25A4 against S1S,7S2,536 in 1910 and
$1S,752,726 in 1909.
"Bradstreet's" says:
Though trade trends show little definite
change It is probably true that retail busl-
ness i'm the larger cities has expanded in
consonance with cooler weather and the
advance of the season. Yet this improve
ment is by no means uniform, too much
rain in the Northwest and along the At
lantic seaboard having hampered shopping
while low cotton prices have anected
southern trade and collections inciden-
tally. the country districts as a whole re-
port that retail business in this respect IS
rather slow. Returns as TO jobbing and
wholesale lines tell of a reasonable degree
of activity in dry goods, furniture, shoes
ana the like. but IL is claimed that interior
distributors continue TO buy on hand-to-
mouth basis though most purchases call for
immediate shipment. Cotton goods are still
being gradually reduced in keeping, as II
we're. with the declines in raw cotton, and
this situation tends TO render buyers eau
tinus because lacking confidence in the sta
bilitv of prices on the other hand. trade in
wool and leather holds up well with firm
price undertone for both.
Demand for coal shows some improve
ment and there is considerable complaint
q bout shortages of coal cars. but, speaking
generally. industrial operations outside Of
building are relatively quiet. Heavy ma
chinery is dull. and the larger kinds of cleo
trtcal apparatus are quiet. though smaller
units seem 10 be in reasonably good request
Trade in finished steel Is unsatisfactory,
not so much because of a paucity OF orders,
but principally because prices. which have
again receded are SO low as TO threaten
even present very small profits.