The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-09-07
THE OUTLOOK FOR THE FALL TRADE
From the n. Y. Worl,

The financial and commercial situation
still shows signs of improvement, and this
| is not to be wondered at when the condi-
| ton of the crops in this country and in
Europe respectively is taken into account.
| 1t is now known that the wheat crop will
! greatly exceed that of any previous year in
/ the history of the country; a large cotton
yield is assured, and in regard to corn,
oats, hay and other crops, the accounts
from the great producing regions of the
| West are most satisfactory. 1t is proven
bal that good harvests mean large and
| profitable business distributed through all
| the channels of trade, and at this time.
| therefore the glowing accounts received
centres of the United States create no sur
prise among men of business.
The best evidence of the growth of gen
eral trade is afforded by the railroad traffic,
which is now universally heavy both East
and West, and which is fast calling into re-
QUESTION all the rolling stock of the leading
lines. Many roads are now suffering from
a want of cars, and it is to be remarked
that the fall business is only Just opened.
When the farmers have done harvesting
and begin to spend the money derived
from the sale eff their crops. the country
storekeeper, the jobber and the city mer-
chant will in turn have a more extended
market for their wares. The city hotels
are just now filed to repletion with coun-
try merchants, who are laying in their
stocks of fall and winter goods in anticipa
ton of heavy volume of business. The
buyers who are here investigating the
stocks of merchandise are buying more free
" than heretofore, and speak in high terms
of the commercial outlook for the near fu-
ture in the Northwestern and Southwestern
states, to which sections immigration has
been chiefly directed, and which conse-
quently have shown a greater relative i'm
provement than any other section of the
country
The condition of affairs at home, as
compared with last year, is vastly improved
in all respects, and the foreign trade of
the United States has already taken a
favorable turn Last year our supply of
exportable products was deficient, while
the crops in Europe were generally much
better than an average. The position is
now reversed and a new pressure of de-
mand is put upon us by the bad or indif
ferent harvests in various parts of Europe.
Europes agricultural difficulty is always
Americas commercial opportunity, but
this year the difficulty and the opportunity
are increased by the eastern complications,
which will practically remove Egypt as a
competitor in the markets of the world,
and will give to this country an oppor
tunity for the marketing of her crops
similar to that afforded by the situation in
1880, which was in some respects pheno-
menal year. In other words, we may look
for an increase of exports of sufficient
magnitude TO revolutionize the commercial
relations of the United States w6th the
outer world For the seven months ended
IL al, e
chandise exceeded the exports by nearly
S51, 0O0, 900, and for the same period
the exports of specie exceeded the i'm
ports by over $4,000, 900. 1t is not
unreasonable to expect that before the
close of the calendar year the movement
of merchandise will show balance on the
right side, and that we shall have returned
to us at least part of the gold shipped to
liquidate our Indebtedness to Europe.
Not only are the exports of domestic
products increasing from this port, but at
many other of the cities of the seab GARD
the receipts of grain and provisions are
simply enormous and vessels are loaded to
their full capacity. An evidence of the
steady increase in the ocean carrying trade |
was furnished by a dispatch from Balti |
more on Friday that the shipments of |
wheat to Europe were the largest for any
OHc Vi eudb Pslb.
the cotton crop begins to be moved-and |
its movement will begin now very soon
the railroads and steamship lines will be |
furnished with still more active employ
ment and there will be something like |
glut of freight awaiting shipment unless, |
indeed, the supply of available vessels |
should be largely increased in the same
time.
Many observing people, having satisfied |
themselves of the effect and significance of |
the improvements now in progress, are full of |
hope and are disposed to embark more free
ly in new enterprises. This feeling is extend |
ing to the Wall street markets the tendency
of which of late has been towards higher |
prices of securities. That the volume of |
business continues small is not surprising |
when it is remembered that the watering
places still have an attraction both for the |
operators and for the brokers whose active |
presence is needed to take advantage of 1
every turn and eddy in the swelling tide.