New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-05
WEATHER HELPS TRADE
Good Crop Prospects Encourage
Hope for Future.

A degree OF uncertainty Is exhibited In
the reports furnished by the commercial
agencies for last week. Recessions In
trade are reported but growing conf
dence IN the future, stimulated by the
good crop prospects is beginning 10 ex-
ercise itself Dun's Review has the fol-
lowing:
while the business situation throughout
the country shows further slight recess
sion In activity. there appears 10 be
growing confidence as to the future and
the volume OF current mercantile trans
actions is much larger than is generally
realized II Is. moreover. significant that
labor continues well employed and that
wages are fully maintained. land in the
case OF the railroad iiremen have been
advanced by arbitration. The exception
ally favorable crop outlook. which de-
velopments during the last week have In
no way diminished. accounts In "A large
degree for the prevailing feeling OF
optimism as 10 the future. Recovery
from Western flood conditions has been
rapid, as is indicated by the returns OF
gross railroad earnings. which showed a
4
April, against a loss Of 3S per cent In the
first week. the net gain for the three
weeks being IL per cent. on the other
hand bank clearings In April showed
loss OF ~ per cent, as compared with
the corresponding month year ago. due
chiefly to the dulness in the leading
speculative markets and In part TO the
interruption to business caused by the
recent floods. Owing TO renewed
anxiety regarding the Balkan situation
money rates abroad are again hrmer,
while the local market has also hardened
I'm anticipation OF the important require
ments In prospect. While current pro-
duction in iron and steel is close to the
point Of capacity. there Is less new busi-
ness. and premiums are no longer so
prominent "A factor. The drygoods mar
kets report somewhat varying conditions,
but the volume OF business is fairly
large. Warmer weather has stimulated
the demand for footwear. although fac
tories are working largely on old orders.
The lumber trade is active and the coal
market normal. Most weather reports
continue TO be highly favorable. and from
present indications this promises to be a
year OF phenomenal crops. The export
trade continues large, and at the Port OF
New York amounted to 81, 606 last
week, an excess of 3lSSs.97 over imports.
and comparing with sl5.fi3.o2 of exports
last year and sl3, 2S9.0J9 In 1911. While the
statistics OF April failures showed an in
crease In both number of defaults and
amount OF liabilities over last year, this
is not surprising in view OF the recent
flood disaster"
"Bradstreets" review sums up the
situation In this form:
Trade reports continue to present
mixed aspects. but when all the primary
factors are sifted the weeks developments
indicate that things have moved forward
rather than backward. Thus, winter
wheat presents an extraordinarily good
condition for this season Of the year:
other crops are being seeded under au-
spices that are distinctly more favorable
than those OF last spring. and I'm the
South cotton planting has progressed IN
a relatively satisfactory way. with In
dications favoring an Increased acreage.
Distlibutiye trade at retail has been
stimulated by bright, springlike weather.
and recorders, except In the East. are
of pretty satisfactory volume. while
throughout the Northwest and parts OF the
Southwest buying for fall account Is such
as TO suggest that little or no unsettle-
ment exists In those sections. Moreover
the South seems more cheerful. and In
the Mississippi Valley country fear of
overaows has virtually passed. Taking
the country as a whole. there Is good
current distribution Of goods. even though
II be conceded that trade In the East
lacks snap and that things In the South
east still lag outdoor operations are
proceeding apace. the Industries ana
farm operations afford active employ
ment. and while strikes are rather numer-
Gus, May passed without any great de-
gree of disturbance. II Is. however con-
coded that new business in and speciica-
,,ons for iron and steel are lighter, that
premiums on finished goods are being
eliminated, and that woollen and worsted
mills are working at reduced rate