The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-20
REPORTS. Of dun
AND BRADsTREETS
General Improvement Dur
ing Past Week-Busi-
ness Failures Greater.

New York. April 2o.-R. G. Dun &
Reports from the leading trade cen
tiers indicate that the recent progress
toward increased business confidence
and activity continues, and no current
development. however disturbing.
seems to check the Improvement. The
growth Of q more optimistic business
sentiment is conspicuous in the West
and Southwest, significant because OF
the reports of damage TO winter wheat
which was responsible for a rapid adj
vance in prices later partially lost.
The fearful disaster which befall the
Titanic had a telling effect upon the
markets and is n matter of special
concern in shipping and insurance
circles.
Iron and Steel Advance.
Further price advances in iron and
steel are announced and production
90 e cent of capacity. There has
been heavy buying of bars by agri-
cultural machinery interests. and quo
tations r higher. Sheets are also
firmer. and on the whole finished and
semi-finished lines arc stronger. De
mand for pig iron has included basic,
malleable and foundry grades. inn
portant foundries in the East and
Central West havin g covered their
requirements for the third quarter and
some for the second half of the year.
There is less structural steel work IN
sight than for some time, but it is
estimated that contracts for standard
section rails nov pending aggregate
about 100000 tons.
Strikes Affect Deliveries.
Labor troubles in textile centers are
Being adjusted, but deliveries in many
lines are affected by recent strikes.
plain of hesitancy due to u~nfavorable
crop reports. In the industrial Sec
tions of the country dry goods trade
is improving moderately. Cotton
gods arc firm and advances have been
announced in wide print cloths, wide
shcetings and other lines. Demand
for staple prints and ginghams is
steady and ducks rule cry firm.
Silk Trade Improves.
Export shipments continue large.
The silk trade is beginning to show
distinct Improvement in the volume
of fall orders, while wooden and worst
ed lines are in q very satisfactory
position.
Leather Firm.
improvement Is noted in footwear
and while the higher prices demanded
cause conservative buying, both
manufacturers and wholesalers report
an increase in business as the season
advances. Leather and hides are firm.
New York, April 2o.-Bradstreets
says today:
Trade Is steady as a whole. and in
many lines the volume of business is
in excess Of that done at this time
last year. Still, more or less irregu-
larity has developed and there has
been some recession from the activi-
ty witnessed III recently preceding
weeks. The undertone of fairs is
strong.
Dry goods. footwear, hats and caps,
furnishings, hardware. groceries, lum-
Der and paints and oils lead in point
OF activity while the price tone Of the
iron and stel markets is much strong
er. with activity in pig iron and buy
ing of steel bars predominating. But
even this latter market is affected by
the fact that prices on %structural
shapes are not so firm in the east
as they are elsewhere.
Jobbers of cotton goods have re-
Gently taken to buying in small lots.
but in a steady way. Still the mar
ket as a whole is less active, owing
in part to weather conditions as well
as to the tendency of prices to ad-
vance. in ~consonance with higher
quotations for raw cotton and to slow
payments in section of the country.
1t is recognized that supplies arc
light, that production in many lines
has been restricted by mill labor trou-
bles. and that it will take time to
regain lost ground. Goods suitable
for fall and winter uses are being
taken in a liberal way.
Business Failures. Increase.
Business failures in the United
States for the week ending April 1S
were 260 against 234 last week, 233
in the like week in 1911: 1913 in 1910;
254 in 1909, and 254 in 1908.
Business failures in Canada for the
week number 20, which contrasts
with % last week and "a in the cor
responding week of 1911.
Wheat Exports Increase.
Wheat, including flour. exports from
the United States and Canada for the
week ending April IS aggregate 1884,
789 bushels. against .2,613,2S6 last
week, and ~1,769,87S this week last
year = For the AZ weeks ending April
Is exports are 13O.110,S96 bushels
against 9S,094,112 in the correspond.
ing period last year.
Corn Exports Good.
Corn exports for the week are
540.4S4 bushels against 1886 last
week. and S39.4S2 in 1911 for the
AZ weeks ending April 18 corn exports
are 32.29S. 961 bushels against a.
052(613 last year.