Show DUNS OPINION Business Is Brisk in Face of Sonia Drawbacks Now York April 26fl G Dun Cos Vcekly Rovlcw of Trade tomorrowwill say Business continues brisk forithe season In tho face of some drawbacks which at times might cause marked hesitation hesi-tation Chief of these Is tho floods in many directions which have Interfered with railroad operations and Interrupted the distribution of merchandise and tho weather all over ho PJast has been ad vcrsefto in incieaso of rclall trade Bank clearings however show that while speculation spec-ulation has beun heavy there must havo boon a wellsustained volume of Icgltl mao business Railroad earnings make encouraging gains Reports from tho Inferior In-ferior show special strength In condllloils through Missouri Kansas and Ohio and the future Is full of promise unless thcro is misfortune with the crops Much unfavorable comment has appeared ap-peared regarding the advance nl stoOl rails io2a Yet the change Is only In keeping with recent Increases In prices of pig iron and billets Nominal quotations quota-tions for many products of lion and steel have long been disregarded in contracts calling for curly delivery and list prices are generally moving up to a rcprcsenla tlvo level On new business or export orders It Is nol unreasonable to make prices for rails on a parity with other products of this Industry Jt I in reported from Pittsburg that mills are not crowded crowd-ed by demand to the extent noticed In 1850 but productive capacity has largely expanded After a prolonged period of waiting for definite crop news the cereal markets suddenly jwoko to unusual activity Much of the Increased trading and smtrp advance in prices resulted from clever manipulating by a single Western speculator specu-lator who compelled the short contingent 10 cover May contracts at tho highest iirlron of tlm senson Vhcat has risen sharply partly In sympathy wIth corn but there was bad news regarding tho Gorman crop and some damage occurred at the West Wool Is fairly steady and this Is tho best that can be said Eastern markets arc quIet t with light demand from the inills Thcro Is less disposition to secure raw material In advance on needs although al-though much faith Iscxpresscd regarding tho stability of prices Reports from many correspondents in chief shcepniiH jug Slates Indicate that a larger cllpvthun lust year may be expected and that tho conditions aro satisfactory Grower aro blow to millie contracts at the present level of prices but a largo percentage of tic old crop carried over and heavy stoclts at tic East glo little encouraKO mcnt to hope for higher prices until the idmcand for manufactured goods shows matorlal Improvement Failures for the week number 215 in tho United States against 201 last year and 2G In Canada against 22 last ycar |