Show WEEKLY REVIEW OF TRADE correspondence of the the moderate improvement in trad noticed a week ago does not yet seen to be more than the slight which occasionally breaks a period oj uncertainty and comparative inactivity when purchases are curtailed for a time the continuing consumption is apt to produce fitful activity at imes but the signs of a lasting improvement pro in trade do not yet appear uncertainty still prevails ana buyers are conservative con nning heiy transactions to immediate want n most branches of business in ome moreover the cold and wet spring has so far curtailed trade that retailers iet ailers are carrying over stocks ilau elicio ainey about the tariff and its effect apon many branches of manufacture about the crops and the foreign demand for exportable products about rates in the near future ind about financial prospects crop prospects have not changed for the worse but the extent of loss in winter wheat is moro definitely realized while the prospects as to spring wheat and other crops is necessarily vague with favorable weather the general results would probably be fair and in some quarters a decidedly hopeful feeling begins to prevail wheat is 1 cents lower than a week ago corn ti cents lower oats hogs and each a fraction lower cotton has risen an eighth but because or figures regarding european consumption and nol because of any change in crop pros pacts the coffee speculation doea not favor holders and heavy realia ing has depressed the price 1 cent oil is also 1 cent lower and a want ol 01 confidence in the near future is the prevailing tone in all the markets this cannot be attributed to financial influences for money is overabundant and quoted at 1 per cent liere notwithstanding the renewal of old exports the treasury has raised its prices paid for bonds taking a large amount one day but the considerable offers since have been at an eighth abo voits now amit for fours and a like amount cireo eighths its limit for as chero is a growing impression that bonds will not bo forthcoming at acceptable cep table figures if it becomes import jint for the treasury to mako targe disbursements during the past week the treasury has taken in a million and a half more than it has paid out but the banks still receive some money from the interior though at some northwestern points money is now going into the country and not 10 the east there is no report oi stringency or closeness anywhere but complaints of slow collections do not the volume of trade of interior cities is very good at omaha and minneapolis but generally below that of last year bank exchanges for the latest week reported show a decrease of 10 cent in comparison with last year with large losses at now york indianapolis cincinnati veston detroit st louis and baltimore eail shipments from chicago eastward of grain flour and provisions have fallen to tons in a week against n few weeks ago but largely because of alake competition the exports of principal products in may wore larger in value by 15 per cent than in the same month of 1887 but because of tho heavy cotton shipments the exports from new york fur the past two weeks show a decrease of 15 per cent with only a blight decrease m imports it is natural that weakness and dullness in should prevail in such a state of trade but the decline m prices has not been great and there are some signa of recovery the iron trade manifests no improvement though sales of tons steel rails are reported at 30 at mill and the alloU moni is said to be disregarded by some eastern makers southern pig is quoted at 17 for no 1 but the quality is not in all cases sound satisfactory bar iron is weaker with to 18 quoted for largo lots of best refined an the dry goedd business thero is a lack of activity and yet in cotton goods a more confident feeling with print claths cloths higher at and low grades of bleached goods very firm woolens are still dull with very good transactions for mens goods and wool is quoted lower at chicago speculators have bought considerable quantities of southwestern wool in the belief that there will be no change of duties and hold at prices above the market the spring trade in wholesale clothing does not appear to have been very satisfactory and it is believed that retailers carry over unusually large stocks though prices have been remarkably mar kably low the business failures occurring throughout the country during the past seven days as reported tor G dun co the mercantile agency today to day friday by telegraph number for the united states and for canada 23 or a total of failures as compared with a total of last week and the week previous to the last por the corresponding week of last year the figures were being in the united states and 20 in canada there is a noticeable increase this week in the failures on the pacific coast the number there being 12 NEW YOKE june |