The Washington critic., 1886-10-22
TRADE AND TRADE PROSPECTS.

THE AmeTTcdR Grocer of October 90
concludes q summary of the business
situation with the following query;
"With more than average crops and a
better foreign market for our surplus,
are we not justified in the prediction
that trade and commerce will be active
for many months to Gomez"
The Grocer had made a careful
analysis Of conditions and movements
up 10 the close Of September, and its
conclusions at that date still hold good
At least nothing has occurred in the
last three weeks to nccessitate their
material modification. Notwithstand.
ing the efforts of operators on the
Stock Exchange who failed to recog.
nize the marked improvement which
set in early in July and who unloading
in September, got left" and have since
been endeayoring to cause a depression
in prices, the railroads continue to
show increased earnings, and all indl.
cations point TO IL gradual and general
renewal of prosperity.
In support of these assertions it Is
stated that the bank exchanges of the
leading cities for the nine months of
1886 show gain of nearly - per cent.
over the corresponding period in 1885,
and the receipts of customs for Septem.
Der this year an increase of $3.50, 79)
over September last year; while the
manufacture of pig iron thus far in
1896 has aggregated 4.1Gl ,007 tons, to
only 3,S40, ,342 tons for the same time
in 1886
These are not only significant, but
unquestionable evidences of reviving
activity in trade, of which the effect
must sooner or later be felt In all other
branches Of business. In fact. the ef-
feet is already perceptible, as shown by
operations in wheat, oil, sugar, coffee,
wool, and other articles of general con-
sumption; also in an increase of 81 per
cent. in the earnings of sixty.eight i'm
portant lines of railway.
Comparing the periods named with
the corresponding periods year ago
we find the exports of wheat for Sep.
tember to be 6,0S4, 37S bushels greater
the exports of flour for the quarter
ending October /, 1,003, S14 barrels
better; the receipts of grain at Buffalo
for the season G0,011 900, to only
45,249, 600 in 1885; the shipments of re-
fined oil from New York sou $50 bar
rels greater; the importation of manu-
factured woods from January to Octo-
ber 10, $3, ,124 500 in advance of last
year, and the output of anthracite coal
up to date indicating a gain Of GS2, ,63s
tons.
The figures here given are from the
computations made by the Grocer, and
may be considered reliable. In face OF
such statistics, we do not see how the
question which it propounds can be
answered otherwise than in the ailirma.
tive.
The country has abundant assurance
that the officials Of the Treasury are
disposed to do all in their power
toward relieving the money market by
liberal policy Of bond,calls and sur.
plus reduction; and there is no partlcu.
lar reason to apprehend that any legis-
lalion will be attempted at the next
session of Congress to seriously inter.
fere with the progress which the coun.
try is steadily making towards better
times.
Neither Is this a matter which the
politicians can afford to interfere with,
even If they had the disposition, for
the purpose of bringing the Admins.
tration into disrepute, A conspiracy tc
prolong the hard times to 1888 for
partisan purposes is conceivable, but
would prove too costly to be practicable
The impetus of trade when all the
conditions are favorable, money plenty
markets open. demand urgent, facill
ties unimpeded, is something that car
no more be resisted than tidal wave.
The revival NAV not amount to boom