| Show WEEKLY REVIEW OF TRADE correspondence of the dalness is the feature in business but dalness with a hopeful feeling in almost every quarter the monetary pressure which has almost invariably commenced about this time does not appear and the dangers which were by experienced bankers apprehended seem to have vanished there ia just now so little anxiety about the money market that little is said of the delay of the bond purchase bill by amendments in the senate which may possibly defeat it the possibility of gold exports does not seem visibly nearer than it seemed weeks ago and considerable purchases of securities on foreign account are reported money on call at now york has ruled at 2 to 2 per cent and foreign exchange has declined from isa to the more pacific advises advices from europe render the outlook more satisfactory but the prevailing dalness is everywhere felt many attribute it to re cent storms and unfavorable or which doubtless affect some trades materially many feel the influence of existing or recent strikes the railroad difficulty at the west does not abate but the feature most widely observed is the dispose tion of customers to act with great conservatism buying only as they aro compelled to buy and this appears in many of the leading branches of trade it is in part the fruit of expectation pec tation that prices may go lower and in part due to perception that the demand for consumption has slackened and may diminish still more the failures of banks or bankers in north carolina mobile and newburg has caused no disturbance though it is recognized that many weak spots must always be found after a period of extraordinary speculative activity yet on the aggregate failures are not more numerous nor more important than those of the last or the previous year which ly indicates greater soundness in legitimate commerce since the number of failures of speculative origin has increased prices are maintained remarkable steadiness for many years it has not happened that tho general level of prices has changed as little as it has during the arst quarter of 1888 hardpan hard pan seems to have been reached in the iron business in the judgment of one of the most successful concerns for the thomas com cany at last announces 20 as its contract price for the year for bast anthracite th bates for lake ore are not yet announced but are expected to bo about for no 1 bessemer the complete collapse of the coke pool with reduction of the price to iello at ovens and a lowering of rail rates give producers a better chance in western pennsylvania but rail rates are also reduced from alabama and it is calculated that the price at furnace for best mill iron averages 1265 at birmingham bar iron is unsettled and sales of best refined at are reported with no eastern sales of rails at western mills is quoted the anthracite companies it is reported have no legal agreement but will maintain rates through the year now about 1 for egg the dry goods trade reports fairly satisfactory sales and the arlington auction realized fair prices for cottons but it is reported losses to makers on woolens the jobbing trade is irregular but storms and unseasonable weather with difficulties both as to d li veries and collections in western affected by railroad strikers are named ay causes tho drug trade is in unfavorable shape purchases being reduced as far as possible and similar features appear in the markets for sugar and many other products which may be affected by a change of duties the wool market however though dull is steady for the better grades while other qualities sell moderately at con JRe ports from various parts of the country show a general feeling of confidence though a lack of present activity is commonly noticed with j some closeness in the money market and tardiness m collections in the northwest bates for money are about 0 per cent at boston philadelphia cincinnati and chicago at the tatter strong the treasury has changed its cash balance only and its deposits still less during the week and the only point of unfavorable augury as to the money market is that domestic exports from new york for march are 22 per cent below last years while imports increased a little the business failures occurring throughout the country during the last seven days as reported to it G dun co the mercantile agency today to day friday by telegraph number for the united states and for canada 42 or a total or failures as compared with a total of last week and the week previous to thelast for the corresponding week in 1887 the figures were being in the united states and 27 in canada NEW YORK march |
