People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 June 1896 — THE TRADE REVIEW. [ARTICLE]

THE TRADE REVIEW.

Some Recession In Veins* Noted — Fall ares Reported. R. G. Dun & Co.’s Weekly Review of Trade says: Continued exports of gold, amounting to $3,900,000 this week, are recognized as natural results of the borrowing and importing early in the year, but caused no serious apprehension. The present political uncertainties cause part of the business that might be done to be postponed until the future is more clear. Markets for produce are weak, rather than stagnant. The business done Is small, but largely governed by the belief in large crops and Insufficient demand. Wheat has fallen 3 cents. Though low prices bring larger Atlantic exports than a year ago, for the first time in many months, flour included, 1,543,973 bushels for the week, against 1,433,745 bushels last year, it remains that for May these exports have been only 4,742,777 bushels, flour included, against 6,183’,420 last year, while western receipts are for the week nearly 10 percent larger, and for four weeks, 8,048,645 bushels,against 5.944,572 bushels last year. Estimates vary widely, but nobody looks for a crop so short as to exhause the surplus in sight. Cotton has fallen an eighth in rplte of continued reports that a famine is near. Decreases in manufacture of 30 per cent at the north, and perhaps more at the south, show the real nature of estimates based on continued manufacture at the maximum rate. Receipts still indicate a crop of 7,000,000 bales last year, and a yield is promised much greater than consumption in any year. Except in print cloths, which are weak, with stocks of 1.723,000 pieces in sight, nobody can tell what quantities of goods have been accumulating while mills have been waiting for demand. Wool sales, exclusive of a few speculative transactions based on extreme low prices, are less than 40 per cent, of a week’s fair consumption, and for May have been 12,711,900 pounds against 20,800,750 last year, and 20,159,900 pounds in 1892. Prices are weaker, washed XX cents; Ohio delaine, 19 cents and about half the quantity sold is foreign. The larger manufacturers took quantities of wool in January, and the smaller want scarcely any now. Dress goods are quiet, except for Wheeling use, and dealings in men’s wear still unsatisfactory. Silk is a shade stronger for Italian, but a large auction sale of silks realized low prices. The iron and steel markets are weak, with lower prices, because the demand for finished products is entirely inadequate, though prices are higher. Pig iron has fallen over 5 per cent, since April 1, but the average of finished products has been advanced 3 per eent. Lower quotations for Bessemer and Grey forge, and local coke at Chicago, with stoppage of two-thirds of the furnaces in Virginia, some in Pennsylvania and others in the Mahoning and

ohenangO valleys, result from inamiuy ot manufacturers to sell at prices which their combination demands, they being undersold by new concerns which are rapidly putting in new machines. Plates weaken, and there is no improvement in sheets, rods; but beammakers have raised the prices $3 per ton, making a slight advance in the average of all prices for the week. It is possible that rebuilding after the disaster at St. Louis may effect Iron and steel markets extensively. The minor metals are all a shade stronger. Failures for the week have been 239 tn the United States, against 215 last year, and 20 in Canada, against 34 last year.