New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-19
THE BUSINESS STATUS
Commercial Agencies Report
Irregular Trade Movements
for the Week.

agencies reflected continued icsscning OF
activity in view Of the expected iarIu
changes. and i'm some sections where busi-
ness previously had exhibited al. especial
Is large volume a tapcriuc OF Was ir-
ported last week. In other places am im-
provcment was shown. go. ON tho whole.
based on this information the av'rag" re-
mains fairly good. Duu's Review says.
There is still some abatement OF actir-
IT'S. due chiefly 10 anticipated tariff
changes. bat the volume Of transactions
In all the leading branches of trade ana
industry Is very large. Conservatism -
naturally more pronounced 80 the iudu+-
trial and financial East. while boo the agii-
cultural West and South there IS a
marked feeling Of confidence. based upon
the splendid crop conditions and the eu"r-
nous export trade. much Of which means
large returns 20 producers iu those sec
tions. The decrease 10 bank exchanges
this week of % per cent. az compared with
the correspond week year ago. was
chiefly due TO reduced speculauN" trans
actions at New York. the volume Of Dusi-
ness al many points being equal To or
even larger than last year II is noucea-
bank clearings. railroad gross earnings
continue to expand. the gain m the hrsi
week Of May being 70 per cent. Iron ana
steel mills are busily engaged Oh old or
ders but there has been decline ia ne"
business. as is shown by the reduction ~
the untitled tonnage Of the leading Inter
est. The recession In business ia iron ana
steel. as well as In the textile trades IS
after all. remarkably small. in view OF
the conservatism inspired by the pending
tariff changes. which leads buyers To re-
strict their purchases mainly To imme-
diate requirements. There IL Increased
steadiness in cotton goods. with the mills
well occupied on old orders. and the car
nat trade Il somewhat more active Inc
colder weather has 10 some extent ad-
yerselv affected retail distribution ia most
lines particularly in the shoe trade. In
leather, and especially in beluns falhe''
more activity is noted. Copper CONDITIONS
are satisfactory The recent fal' OF ram
has improved the already bright crop
prospects, and. all things considered
there has never been AT this time OF the
wear a more suspicious outlook Tor po'h
winter and spring wheat. THIS Is what
most inspires confidence In new ACTIVITY
i'm the third quarter Of the year "heh
harvesting will be in order and when IL u
expected that tariff readiustmcnt VIII oe
completed. Agricultural exports IN AprI
broke all previous records for the inohth'
and during the latest week the total eN-
norris from the port of New YORK We're
SIS $40 623. nearly equalling the Imports
l..s than last wear ana
over $3.o0oOo more than In l9l!.
Bradstreet's has the following:
TRADE currents indicate the existence
Of relatively satisfactory conditions
though the reports still are interspersed
with evidence Of more or less irregu-
larity In final distribution. Conservatism
Is being practised as to future trade
bending prospective tariff changes, ana II
IS probable that the volume OF business
i'm the Northwest. a section That mas
heretofore been especially active mas
tapered off a little. but slackness In one
or another zone has been counterbalanced
bv improved movements in other places.
Retail trade this week has been re-
stricted by cool Wcather-a temporary
factor-and new business In iron and steel
tends 10 become lighter. ON the other
hand. crop conditions are mainly favor
able. the winter wheat crop has un-
doubtedly made further progress toward
a bumper yield. and while In the East
there is just as much talk as ever about
tariff matters. sentiment AT the moment
seems 10 be rather less pessimstic. IL is
recognized that natural conditions are
fundamentally more favorable than they
were at this time last season. and what
is probably equally. as important at this
iuncture is the fact that stocks are not
being accomplished. In other words. the
condition OF the money market Is such as
to initiate against the making Of sur