Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
B. G. DUN & CO.'S WEEKLY REVIEW OF
TRADE.
NEW YORK, Saturday, April 30, 1887.
Unusual weather hinders trade. Extensive snow
storms late In April, with strips and patches of snow
still on the ground at this date around New York,
account for not a little embarrassment in various
branches of business. It is a compensating fact that
the long drought at the West is broken, and copious
rains help crop prospects. But the outlook in dry
goods is especially affected by unseasonable weather,
which adds to apparent depression caused by un-
wonted purchases of stocks last month In order to
anticipate changes of rates. The market for woolens
drags, and is unsatisfactory, and while cotton sta-
ples are firm, print cjoths are weaker. Raw cotton
does not advance, though receipts aro small, and
wool has been weak, though hope is expressed that
the bottom has been touched.
In other important tiades lower prices reflect
weakness. Iron is dull at Philadelphia, with prices
of some grades marked down there and at Pitts-
burgh ; bar is lower, and the entire market feverish,
with symptoms of weakness. Large sales of Eng-
lish steel rails, said to reach 15,000 tons, coupled
with offers at $40 at tidewater, have led some makers
to reduce prices to $38 per ton. The sales for the
year already reach 1,494,000 tons, and the deliveries
456,000, and the coal output exceeds that of last year
to date by live per cent , but the signs of a reaction
cause many purchasers to hesitate. Wheat is held
by a reported corner, but has scarcely advanced a
shade; pork products are a little weaker than a week
ago, and oil is dull. Coffee has been suddenly ad-
vanced a cent by speculative methods. Leather is
in better demand, boot and shoe orders having de-
cidedly improved. B. A. light hemlock is quoted at
20. The rubber market is excited, and it is thought
no large lots could be purchased at quoted rates, 82
cents for Para fine, but the manufacturer is not
helped by the unsettled market for the material.
Stocks have turned downward, with an average de-
cline for the week of half a dollar per share.
For much of the embarrassment the changes in
rail rates under the Inter-State act are responsible.
Many think, as the commission apparently does,
that the railroads have made the law an excuse for
unnecessary advances in rates, but the broad fact re-
mains that a great part of the business of the coun-
try has been built up under a system of special rates
to encourage especial localities or trades. The chief
intent of the act is to prohibit such special favors.
An Inevitable result is that the industries and busi-
ness of a great number of places are disturbed.
From Memphis comes complaint that rates at coun-
try towns throughout that region have been advanced
with a bound, so that factories generally have closed,
being unable to ship except at actual loss. From
Minneapolis it appears officially that rates of Hour to
Chicago, not covered by "in transit" contracts, have
been advanced from 10 to 36 cts. per barrel. Boston
protests as loudly as Toledo, and Northwestern
roads as earnestly as the transporters across the
continent. Some are helped by the act; Ohio, Mis-
sissippi, and lake transporters gain advantages, and
central wool growers rejoice that California wool is
excluded from Eastern markets. But the stoppage
of the system of special rates, through which a large
part of the industry and trade of the country has
been shaped and developed, unavoidably affects
business generally.
Foreign and interior trade continue fairly active.
Exports from New York show an increase of 11 per
cent, over last year, but are declining, against an in-
crease of l)/ 2 per cent. In imports, with an advanc-
ing tendency. At some Southern points, business is
so dull that country merchants in unusual number
are asking extensions, but collections generally are
fairly prompt. Money would be everywhere abun-
dant, but for extraordinary demands in real estate
speculation and building. At New York alone, plans
filed in three months call for an expenditure of $22,-
500,000 in building, and mortages amount to $35,600-
000 for the quarter. At the same rate throughout
the country, new mortages would aggregate 2,000
millions, and new buildings would cost 1,400 mil-
lions. A Chicago journal reports 21,347 miles of new
railway building proposed for the year, and 18,856
295
miles of track to be relaid, which would cost over
$600,000,000. With such demands it is not strange
that any disturbance in the usual trade and produc-
tive industry of the country is felt.
The business failures occurring throughout the
country during the last seven days, as reported to E .
G. Dun & Co., of the Mercantile Agency, to-day,
Friday, by telegraph, number for the United States
171, and for Canada 28, or a total of 199, as againsta
total of 175 last week, 223 the week previous to the
last, and 194 for the corresponding week of last year.
No failures of consequence occurred in New York
city, and in the Eastern and Middle States generally
the casualties are light and unimportant.
314 & 316 Broadway, New York.
DEATH OF MRS. CHRISTIANA KNABE.
T
H E widow of t h e late William Knabe, founder of
the great firm of W. Knabe & Co., died on t h e
28th prox., a t t h e age of 82. By her great
strength of mind and character, sweetness of disposi-
tion, this most estimable lady had been of incalcula-
ble assistance to her husband in his first endeavors
to establish his business, which Is now one of the
leading pianoforte manufacturing establishments in
the world, and is known as t h e firm of William Enabe
&Co.
Mrs. Knabe was born in Saxe Meiningen, Germany,
and came to this country with her husband fifty years
ago. She was a most interesting old lady, and her
appearance each year a t tho picnic given by the firm
to its Baltimore employes was t h e feature of the fes-
tivities.
•—
T H E merry, sparkling operetta " A Trip to Africa,"
now holding t h e boards at t h e Standard Theatre, has
jumped into deserved popularity. I t is full of refined
music and humor. Lillian Russell, t h e leading lady,
is even more fascinating than when she last appeared
in New York. The operetta itself is one of those ex-
travagantly complicated plots abounding in ludicrous
situations and splendid choruses, and t h e audience is
kept in a continuoas roar of laughter from beginning
to end. The .masterly hand of Mr. J. C. Duff.'the
manager, is apparent in t h e arrangement and setting
of the play.
STYLE 15.
ARTISTS' FAYDRITE
%
WRITE FOR FULL DESCRIPTION, PRICES AND TERMS, TO
WM. BOURNE £ SON. Boston.