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Show DON'S REVIEW OF TRADE C0NN1T10NS NEW TORK, Jan. 7. Dun's weekly review re-view of trade today says: Aside from some hesitation st the South, owing to the recent fsll In the price of cotton, business conditions are favorable and optimistic sentiments are evidenced by extensive preparations for active trade. As annual reports appear It is found thst the closing months of 1904 made a much better exhibit than, the first half, which starts the new year with smaller stocks of goods In the hands of dealers, assuring liberal contracts In the near future for replenishing supplies. A few minor labor controversies have arisen, but the Fall River mills are mors active, and in most branches of manufacture manu-facture there Is a steady decrease in the proportion of idle mschlnery, one prominent promi-nent producer of woolen goods reporting 86 per cent of all plants In operation. Gross earnings of the railways In December De-cember were 8.4 per cent larger than In the same month of 1908. Winter wheat conditions have Improved, and the partial par-tial recovery in cotton may prevent the threatened curtailment. Buyers ars arriving ar-riving in the leading market and in another an-other week liberal orders for spring delivery de-livery will be placed. Dispatches from other cities are generally encouraging. As Inventories and repairs are completed, complet-ed, the various departments of the iron snd steel Industry steadily extend operations opera-tions and the sentiment Is In striking con-trsst con-trsst to the conservstlsm that prevailed a year ago. A decided change In the tone of country hides lifted the price of buffs to ten cents or better and offerings were limited. Other grades of domestic hides are quiet . |