Omaha daily bee., 1882-09-20
The Business OUTLOOK.

st. Louis Post Dispatch.
With abundant crops and great &C.
tivity in trade, there is still an occa.
sional cry of danger ahead" as there
always is. Reports that good crops
are general in Europe have somewhat
reduced the expectations in regard to
our export of food products, and been
followed by a downward tendency In
our produce markets. AS the far.
mers are better off Just now and
under less compulsion to sell than for
some years past. and as the high prices
they have been accustomed
to get rather indisposeH
them to make their grain
at the reduced prices, it is feared that
a tardy movement of the crops will
greatly check trade. Then the mer-
chants generally have laid in heavy
stocks, and it is feared there will be
q tendency to force sales and to sell
On credit, thus producing a situation
which, in connection with diminished
exports and the consequently large
balance of trade against us, may pro-
duce serious embarrassment and dis.
aster, unless business begins to sail
under more close. reefed and conserva.
tive principles.
Cereals, however, constitute less
than a fourth of our total exports, and
u fair demand for them from Europe
is to be expected at some time during
the year, in spite of the good crops
over there; for a good yield on that
side of the water still leaves a large
deficit to be supplied from abroad,
and at the same time increases the
ability to purchase it. Even q cou-
siderable falling off in our cereal ex.
port, therefore, is likely to be com.
pensated for by more liberal sales of
our other products for European
consumption. There is nothing
at all alarming in the foot.
ings of our foreign trade for
the year ending June 80, 1889; GER.
tainly nothing to indicate that we
shall not do better this year. True,
We purchased more freely abroad than
We ever did before, and a good deal of
tho increase was in the form of luxu.
ries, while short crops and the high
prices at home reduced our food ex.
ports immensely. Still, though we
imported 500, 600 900 worth of sugar
and molasses, and nearly 80, 900, 900
worth of potatoes, our merchan-
disc exports exceeded our merchan-
disc imports, and much of the latter
was in the form of productive
plant aud raw material entering into
manufactured articles, in the eAports.
ton of which there was q large in
crease over the preceding year. On
the whole, WI begin this year with a
better foreign trade basis than that on
which We began last year, and with
abundant crops insuriDg cheaper food
and cheaper production at home, the
outlook for an active and prosperous
year is not at all impaired by the sim-
Pile fact that We imported more and
exported less last year than the year
before.
This mornings kilograms from all
the principal trade centers, and the
clearings for the week, show a healthy
activity in which the only drawback
Is the manifest deposition of the far
mers to withhold their wheat from
market at present prices. As the x
port demand continues steady and
shows the ability OF Europe to absorb
freely of our surplus, while holders
ara not at all inclined to elut the mar.
ket, the situation seems to favor
a steady movement during the
fall and winter without sharp
changes in prices. In general
merchandise business is satisfactory
and the purchasing has bsen strong,
but conservative. There are no large