Show TRADE OF COUNTRY I HAS BEEN GOOD f Business Particularly Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory tory in the West Vest 4 WOOL SALES INCREASE FEATURE OF OP THE IM K WEEK BAS BEEN BIG STEEL DEAL DaL DEALt DaLI 1 t New York March 1 R G Dun Cos weekly review of trade tomorrow will ray gay y Jobbing trade in groceries hardware and iron specialties has fur further further further ther gained in volume in the east since last report and retail business has been good except for tor a slow movement of some descriptions of dry goods not notably notably notably ably clothing of which dealers fear they must carry carryover over unusually large stocks In the west and arid southwest however the season has been satisfactory satisfactory satisfactory tory The Th greatest industrial combi combination combination combination nation ever evar arranged that providing for the union of the leading steel in interests interests interests has hae not directly affected busi bus business business busness ness as yet and a d may not do so other otherwise otherwIse otherwise wise than by removing some of the unnecessary competition from the in industry industry Industry Nominal quotations of iron and steel are misleading According to pub published published lists liste It appears that while pig Iron has steadily advanced for many weeks little change has occurred in finished products This discrepancy is due to the figures fixed by the various pools and associations but at which it Is impossible imp to secure prompt de tie deliveries liveries Actual business is done at extensive advances over these prices billets selling at 21 at Pittsburg or more than a dollar above the normal rate while plates bars and structural shapes are only available when special terms are offered Even on distant deliveries mills are asking higher figures and every line of steel production at Pittsburg has al already already already ready covered full contracts for the next two months while hile there th re Is a gen general general genera eral era feeling that material advances will occur before May 1 Bessemer pig iron sold this week at 1525 and Grey Forge at BIt 1900 prices that have not been equaled since early In August Coke production Is enormous and Connells Connellsville Connellsville ville prices at last show a definite ad advance advance vance ance Further increase appears in sales of wool at the three chief eastern mar marKets margets gets pounds changing hands for the week against in the previous week A year ag ago total transactions trans transactions transactions actions were less than half hal the pres present present present ent weeks operations There is still sUll no reason to believe that the heavy buying results from better conditions at the mills as orders for goods do not appreciably expand except in u a few specialties If manufacturers were bid bidding bidding bidding ding for raw material largely the de tie decline tieI I cline dine in prices would be checked but the average aye rage on March 1 was the low lowest est st since June 1899 Shipments of boots and shoes from Boston were eases cases against In the week preceding and a year ago Most visiting buyers have concluded sampling and returned home Shops have ample work for some time timeto to come and prices are well maintained Large stocks of hides depress prices at Chicago taking the average to the low lowest lowest lowest est point since last October Curtailment of production by south southern southern ern era yarn arn mills has become general and at Fall River there Is much muen discussion of the advisability of reducing output or lowering wages Loss in domestic consumption of raw cotton seems as assured assured assured and foreign buying is far from satisfactory jory The position p of this sta staple staple stapIe pIe is not made firmer by news that sales of fertilizers surpass all records in many southern states Grain markets are firmly maintained Domestic crop conditions are encouraging encouraging aging and the tile best explanation of I strength th is found und in Atlantic exports I during February of wheat flour included i ed amounting to bushels against 1562 last year and anti I bushels of corn against In Commercial failures in February were 1024 in number and hi lit amount com ared with 1242 in Janu January January ary any With ith liabilities of It is worthy of note that nearly a third of the liabilities in manufacturing ing failures were due to a single bank bankruptcy bankruptcy bankruptcy of ot a railway contractor while not one of the trading defaulters owed as much as I |