Show WEEKLY REVIEW OF TRADE the if dalness in trade were always a hid sign the present outlook coald not be called hopeful at only one or two interior points is the actual business transacted satisfactory in volume nearly all report comparative inactivity in the present with hopeful anticipations though at several points a considerable slackening of trade is now noticed money has become tight at some western and southern points the complaints of poor collections being much more frequent the clearing house returns for the first week of april which included large deferred payments as well as quarterly settlements showed a gain of 8 per cent over last year outside of new york but current transactions do not increase to that extent if at all the inactivity has caused a yielding in general prices notwithstanding a slight advance in some speculative markets the government report showing injury to wheat was the occasion of a sharp advance in breadstuffs bread stuffs and wheat is still 2 cents higher though it has lost part of the gain and corn gains also but oats closed no higher than a week ago A chicago comer in pork bled some short fehere but prices quickly relaxed cotton is a shade stronger for though the crop already in sight exceeds the entire crop of last year and the falsity of short crop estimates is proved receipts are now falling off exports last months were million ibs against millions in march 1887 od has risen aj cents and exports last month were 47 million gallons against 43 millions last year sugar has also gained a fraction but coffee is uncertain and by some shaded to secure trade and teas are slow and hesitating butter is weak eggs lower and beef does not improve in the dry goods trade there is only a moderate business with some cutting to secure transactions print claths cloths have declined to 3 cents and the tone seems weaker for cotton goods generally except for the most favored makes in woolens no change appears and the weakening wool market distinctly reflects the disposition of manufacturers to confine purchases to present needs A large sale of ohio X X at 29 is reported the boot and shoe trade continues more and cheerful than most others and the demand is good but prices realized are slightly lower leather is quiet with a fair volume of trade and heavy sales of selected south american hides at 16 to are reported bubber is very firm at 78 for para fine the report of iron furnaces in blast april ast 1st indicates a slight increase since march ast 1st the capacity of the few largo furnaces which have resumed exceeding that of the more numerous furnaces which have ceased production but it is reported that a further decline this month is to bo expected the demand is so far satisfactory is that the thomas company report sales as largo as last years to date and other concerns report fairly liberal sales but the offerings of southern iron at 19 to 20 for no 1 and 16 to 1650 for no 3 still disturbs the trade sales of tons steel rails at the east and at the west are reported at unchanged prices but bar iron is low and irregular on account of western offerings wire rods and wrought iron pipe are lower and nails are slow the western association having virtually reduced rates for all below the stock market after some rise and reaction stands precisely where it did a week ago large foreign purchases of bonds are constantly coming out and there are signs that foreign buying exceeds selling of stocks but the ending of the strike does not restore harmony among western roads eastern trunk lines have met without action on the complaint that export rates worked unfairly and suits are commenced for unjust discrimination in eastern dressed beef rates based on the allowance to the grand trunk the treasury has decidedly helped the money market the past week paying out more than it has taken in and foreign exchange is unaltered but the exports for last month evidently were much behind last year s the loss being 20 per cent at new york and in values of oil and cotton from all principal ports while imports at new york were but 5 per cent lower last month than for the same month last year and for the first week of april show a heavy increase the business failures occurring throughout the country during the last seven days as reported to R G dun co the mercantile agency today to day friday by telegraph number for the united states and for canada 22 or a total of failures as compared with last week and the week previous to the last for the corresponding week of last year the figures were failures made up of in the united states and 29 m canada NEW YORK april |