The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-03-03
REVIEW OF TRADE.
WEEKLY REroRr OF DUN = Co.
The Uncertainties of Buslno.s-EnsOts of
the Strike and the Tariff BiII-Ths Wool
and Iron nIarhetS-ThS Boot and Shoe
Trado-wOek's Business Failures.

NEw YoRr, Mach 2.-Following is R
G. Dun & Co.'s review of trade for the
week ending Saturday, March 8: Actua,
business is satisfactory for the sea,
aOn. Prospects arc confused and uncer-
tain, in some directions promising but in
other branches Of large Importance de-
cIdedly 'Clouded. The passage by the
House Of the bill authorizing bond pur-
chases was designed to renew the none.
tary uncertainty, ian influence which al
fects all trade and industry. Whether
tho Senate will pass the bill in It's present
form is not yetcsrtain, and Secretary Fair
child's report makes it Questionable
whether the measure, II passed, would
prove an adequate reliance for the pre-.
vention OIL. Treasury assumption Of money.
But many think 1t will give full relief,
and that Impression gave lhopefulness to
the slack market for one day. Lower
prices Immediately followed, however.
The western railroad wars and strikes
continued to disturb business. Because
Of cut by the Canadian linep, the east
ern trunk roads announced reduction OF
ten per cant on east and WesGbound rates,
March 9th, and efforts to settle the west.
ern war were defeated on Thursday by
the st. Paul. Only q partial revival Of
traffic on the Burlington & Quincy has
been attained. At prevailing rates bnsi.
ness Is not 80 profitable that the com.
pany ia impatient. While the earninga
Of railroads continue 10 show that a large
quantity OF freight for the seaacn is in
motion, the rates are dropping and ex.
penses on many lines are inCreaainR, the
Pennsylvania has adyanc%. wages on the
western lines 10 per cent.
An important cause OF uncertainty in
many branches OF trade is the movement
to change the tariff. Whether the pro.
posed changes are deemed desirable or
not, those who think them probable are
for that reason moved to defer business
operations. The bill submitted on Thurs-
day would affect 60 many industries and
branches Of trade that individual opin.
ions, favorable or unfavorable to 1t, must
considerably influence transactions while
1t remains pending, 1t comes at time
when, for other reasons, there is heaita-
ton in most Of the branches chiefly con-
cerned, and increaees that hesitation. II
Is characteristic OF many trades at prea-
ent, that purchases and operations are,
for one resaon and another, limited to
present necessities.
In the boot and shoe trade, which ia
otherwise exceptionally satisfactory, there
are come such indications as to women'a
and children'a goods; in the Cottons tho
recent signs OF hating may be attributed
to unusually large dealings in the past;
in the sugar and other trades the opera
tlons OF trusts and combinations cause
uncertainty. Tho coal business, since the
strikes began to collapse, have been
marked by only hand to mouth dealings,
In doubt as 10 the future output.
The priceH Of wool are steady, with
Ohio XX at 32c, and buyers have been
operating with some freedom, but any Rd-
vance has been resisted, anddhe effects OF
the proposal to change the duties are not
yet aeen. A large failure in tho lumber
and ealt interests in Michigan, following
tho remarkable shrinkage in the demand
for iron ore, indicates that the prospect In
that region is not wholly unGlouded.
Elsewhere the iron trade is hesitstIDg,
with somewhat lower prices at Pitts
burgh, while youngstown works resolve
to close unlegs bstter TRilraad rates enable
them to meet Southern competition. Ia
the East tho supply increases while ordsrs
halt.
No unfGvorsble indications appear in
reports oil trade or 0f collections in any
part Of the country. Money is every
where comparatively easy, though at BOs-
ton and other important points 1t is felt
that q revival Of business activity would
soon be followed by come pressure.
Southern trade is clearly improving, and
there are aigns Of renewed real estate &C.
tivity at some Western points.
The Treasury has returned by banks
s., 400 900 OF the deposits during the week,
and in all took in s.. 5000 more cash
than it paid out. For tue month Of Feb
ruary the debt reduction was 1850, 900,
almoat entirely through the increase in
cash on hand, though sc, ,000.0 600 wRs paid
surrendered bank notes, and the bank cir
culation diminished S., ,125 300.
The volume OF trade represented by
psymenta through the clearing houses 10
about q per cent larger than last year
outside Of New York, but with noticeable
losses at Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Cincinnati aud Kansas City.
The buBineSs failures occurring through
out the country during the laat seven dsyR
number for the United States 2O2, and for
Canada 42, or total OF pa failures, az
compared with a total Of 270 last week, and
273 tho week previous to the last. For
the corresponding week Of last year the
figures were 2O3 In the United States and
26 in Canada; total 239. The casualties
reported in Canada are still unusually
large in number.