The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-05-11
TRADE IRREGULAR
AND IN SUSPENSE
Dun and Bradstreets Make
Weekly Report-Business
Failures Increase.

New York, May 11.-Brads,reets
says today:
Trade reports portray the existence
of irregular conditions and business
on the whole has in all probability
tended to decrease. Relatively best
returns come from the southwest,
where sunshine has aided most
branches of trade and where improve
ment in the condition of winter wheat
has tended to buoy sentiment. =
The season has been an unusually
quiet n for most retail lines in the
east. vagaries of the weather having
resulted in a disappointing demand
for most lines of wearing apparel.
In fact wholesale dealers now are
finding themselves in a position
where they are compelled to wait on
expansion in retail trade to furnish
them with recorders n consequent
ly all future orders are being held
up.
The Industrial situation appears to
have improved and there is less talk
of strikes though disturbances have
bee nencountered in the anthracite
coal fields, where mine work still is
suspended pending adjustment of diff
~ferenccs. incidentally employment
is more geenral. The iron and steel
iiiuustiS Is operating more freely ana
Il scarcity of help is n factor in the
Connelsville coke producing region.
Blast furnaces, as we'll as steel works
complain of a growing dearth of COM
mon laborers. Pig iron is less ac-
tive. firnler prices prevail for semi
finished steel and railway building of
cars and particularly the former is a
feature, while heavy orders for rails
are pending. Collections show little
n u n rs, T. frO y, D0Nr% -%-1-. .~.- ---1
in some sections. only fair in others
and slow in the south.
Business failures in the United
States for the week ending May 9,
We're 260 against 224 last week. PAS
in the like week of 1911, 216 in 1910,
224 in 1908 and eel in 1908.
Business failures in Canada. for
the week number &c. which compar-
ed with 20 last week and "a in the
like week of last year.
Wheat. including flour. exports
from the United States and Canada
for the week ending May 8, aggregat-
ing 3,14S.595 bushels against 3,543,-
112 last week and 3.131.631 this week
last year. For the forty five weeks
ending May 8. Exports are 1882
III bushels against 104,S55.736 in
the. corresponding period last year.
Corn exports for the week are 49,
- tsIlt iStIIlSl va last week
and 569,73S in 1911. For the forty
five weeks ending May 9. corr ex-
ports are 32,73O.S39 bushels against
44,63o,977 last year.
Dun REPORT.
New York. May 11.-R. G. Dun e.
Co.'S weekly review of trade today
says:
The movement OF trade continues
on q larger scale than last year. The
rains have interfered with wholesale
and retail distribution and thi re-
duced somewhat the movement of
dry goods. the market. however. re-
manning on the whole very strong.
The best reports come from iron
and steel. h production of which
continues very large. the daily rate
during the month of April reaching a
| point in eycess of the preceding high
total.
Continued heavy buying by the
railroads is noted. and prices of steel
making iron and southern foundry
iron show increased strength.
h larger producers of steel bill
lets are filled up and. though some
material is still on the market. the
supply is now not more than equal
to the demand. Open hearth and
Bessemer billets are frmer at sp0.5O
and SCI, Pittsburgh.
Dry goods manufacturers are in
clined to take a more conservative
review of the possible trend of VAL
ues to still higher levels. Export
shipments continue large, but new
business is light.
A large advance business has been
booked by Jobbers of fall cottons,
while wash fabrics and similar goods
move slowly into consumption.
The position of wooden and worsted
mills is strong. in so far as business
in hand Is concerned.
i Footwear shows Improvement and
while conservative buying still is no.
ticed in some quarters. the majority
of jobbers have placed good sized
contracts for future needs.
All kinds of leather are strong, but
sole is especially stiff. and following
some good sized trading in the lat
ter, tanners now are asking for an
other one-cent advance. and are hold
ing secured oak backs at forty cents.
and union backs 81 cents, tannery
run.
Hides continue to show the same
amount of strength that has charac-
terized them for some time past.