The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-09-22
TRADE BETYERMENT
sure BUTUNEVENIN
LEADING FEATURES
Dun's Weekly Review Finds
Situation Encouraging for
Further Progress

No sudden or rapid commercial up
Lift having been indicated, the pres
ent slow and highly uneven advance
closely conforms with conservative
expectations, according to Dun,s
Weekly review Of trade.
It comments. however, that there is
warrant for the statement that some
progress in the right direction has
been achieved since the recent turn
In seasons, the more favorable trend
and the stronger sentiment not being
obscured by the unsatisfactory aspects
which still prevail. It had been logi-
cally assumed that ct least some
change for the better would come in
September.
What has occurred, as had been
anticipated, has been q gradual emer-
gence from the extreme lethargy Of
the summer, and In this respect the
status IL more encouraging. Except
in isolated cases. there u no vigorous
activity now, yet instances Of I'M
p~roveinent, II not particularly i'm
pressive, are numerically more prom
inent. That Is true both Of pro-
ducing and distributing branches, al
though not every department In either
field has shared In the upturn In the
same degree, and, In some channels
the hoped-for revival remains absent.
One OF the significant features Of
tho current week was the accumulat-
ing evidence Of . renewed and ex-
banding inquiry and demand for
uNsoaA oA- Nant~otoIO hAaAA lon~a1Vy
upon the fact that prices for these
commodities are at exceptionally at
tractive levels. After months Of al
most uninterrupted decline, the struc-
ture Of markets, as q whole, Is firImer.
and the belief Is spreading that fur
ther sizeable concessions are less like
~ to be witnessed. Even with the
erratic variations In foodstuffs. more
steadiness in quotations has been
clearly revealed Of late In Dun's ex-
tenstve list.
Export Trade Total Higher
From preliminary official data is
sued this week, It APPEARS that domes-
tic merchandise exports In August
rose considerably above the unusually
low level Of July. The total for last
month Is estimated to have been
$500, 000,0 200, or about 12A per cent,
above the July figures. When COM
parison Is made with the outgo Of a
year ago, however, q large decline Is
shown, the amount for August, 1923,
having exceeded $3.50, $780, 00. On the
import side, last months $217 ,000,0 900
did not follow the rising trend Of
exports. but fell some $4,000 900 below
the aggregate for July. The imports.
like the exports, remain much under
the monthly average Of other recent
years, and IN August were, In fact
the lowest for the period since 1921.
Steel Trade Reports Mixed
It Is made plain by reports from
the iron and steel trades that much
irregularity still exists, yet certain
encouraging phases have come into
greater prominence. Among these Is
the fact that some buyers have shown
q disposition to enter more freely
upon forward commitments, marking
q change from the long-continued
policy Of hAnd-to-mouth, purchasing.
That has been the weeks outstand-
ing feature. Moreover, makers OF
automobile parts are stated to have
received inquiries on contracts run
ming some distance into the future.
and these aspects have given senti-
ment q more buoyant tone. Other
cheering news has included sustained
activity at q high rate in line pipe
production. while the tinplate speci-
lications are frequently Of an urgent
character.
Textiles and Hides
It again Il possible to note more
encouraging aspects in the general
textile situation. Among the promis-
ing indications u the distinctly better
demand for finished cotton goods,
while the upturn in certain divisions
Of the wooden industry has become
more marked.
After last weeks outburst of activ-
ity, with sharply rising prices. bust
ness IN hides has abated. The mar
ket for the raw material was influ-
enced by Developments In connection
With trading In futures, but tanners
were lowering their bids this week.