Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-26
TnE BUSINESS SITUATION

Inc past week ma gwen ilttle eN'
ooursgment to thos1 who have been
predicting q revival Of btsiness'
Trade through ut the country Is still
reported dull, though a slight improve.
ment is noted in certain industries
All the wholesale markets report
small sales, but encourage themselves
in the hope Of an early spring season,
with a larger business on slightly
lower margins of profit. Money still
continues tight, and the list of fail.
ures is a long one. l. is a Noted,
however, that the reported in%solvencies
are for the rlcs. part Of small firms
involving amounts varying from a few
hundred up to five thousand dollars.
The usual busineas guages remain un-
changed. Clearing house aggregates
are small, prices continue low on all
commodities but food, excharg 90 re
mains below the shipping points,
stocks accumulate and profits decay,
capital ia rolling up at the great inan-
cial centres, ard tho first month tf
the New Year 10 nearly gone With no
changei In the profound uncertainty wi h
which 1883 opened. In our own state
merchants report collections as slow
and the Wholesale houses are obliged
to carry their country customers
to an unueual degree. The action
of the fIrmers ia holding their corn
for a rise makes money scarce and the
small banks are loaning all their avail
able capital to men whose barns and
cribs are filed to OVERLOOKING with
marketable provisions. or course the
effect Is felt In all lines OF trade and
little relief can be expected until pro.
'%isions begin to move eastward.
In general the industrial situation
continues quiet, with little material
change in its general features. There
is renewed activity in the iron trade
and furnaces and mills are said
to DO busily employed. Uncer'
tainty as to tariff legislation causes
caution In ell lines of industry, anG
there is o desire to keep stocks dowr
to present oonsumptive requirements,
The slight activity In the grain mar
kets and tho consequent advance In
prices is due to a feeling among specu
~latiors that the foreign demand mus
soon be largely Increased, owing to tn,
European inundit atoms and the conse
quent shorS crops. More than the
entire stock of corn in elevators a
several eastern ports is already under
contract for shipment to Europe thiI
month, while the visible supply a
interior points has not Increased and i
scarcely more than half what 1t wa
Q year ago. Tho general feeling Oh
corn Is buliiah. The condition of tina
now In the crib In Iowa, Illinois ant
Indiana is hot satisfactory, while tn
principal surplus growing states no
only havo their crops in bad condition
but lighter In quantity than was orig
inally estimated. 1t Is also note
that they are uulng much more 70
home consumption than In other year
when a large part Of the old crop re
NAMED to draw on. Under thes
circumstances there are good reason
to anticipate q sharp advance in corr
within tho next month, unless specu
lative inf Iences succeed In overturn
ing the natural laws Of trade.
The general outlook for trade Is no
fattering, but on this very account
gradual contraction of credits is Il
progress which cannot but prove bene
fetal to the business interests of tn
country. E~xtravsgant personal an
national expenditure and exorbitan
taxation have done much to brin
about the present uufavorable out
, look. Economy and tax reductio
will be equally potent factors In re
moving 1t.