St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-28
THE STATE OF TRADE.
An Encouraging Appearance to Domestic
and Foreign Business.
MONEY IS GENERALLY EASY.
The Storm Affects Business Little, But
Fair Volume Is Reported
Collections Good.

NEW YORK, Jan. 97.-R. G.. Dun 81
Co. In their weekly review Of trade say
Business, both domestic and foreign,
has more encouraging appearance.
Money is reported close at very few
distant points, but cOmpa atively easy
everywhere else, and collections are
fair in all quarters, with substantial
improvement where hardness has been
observed. The volume of business has
been affected by storms and the block
aiding of railways, but is generally fair
for the season, and exchanges outside
of New York are 81 per cent larger
than for the same period last year. 1t
is a decidedly healthy symptom that
there is general absence of speculative
excitement, and prices of products are
in most cases settling toward a more
natural level, though the average is
sustained by the scarcity of anthracite
coal, the scanty supply of vegetables
and the advance in cotton goods. For
eign trade in December was much more
favorable than early statements indi-
Gated, the
DECREASE IN EXPORTS
of cotton, breadstuffs and provisions
being partly balanced by increase in
cattle, petroleum and minor articles.
The excess of exports over imports of
merchandise is S21, $50, 7S3 for the month,
with outgoing silver exceeding incom-
ing gold by S679,0S9, indicates with
drawal of capital, exceeding by Sl2,-
DOC, 00Q the average required for interest
payments, and underValuatiOns, but for
the past six months receipts of foreign
capital have apparently exceeded with
drawalS by S55, 100000. The returns for
January thus far indicate an increase of
per cent in the imports at New York
thus far show an increase of Ia per cent.
AS the exports exceeded imports by
S20,000.000 last January, these reports
point to a continued though smaller eX-
cess. Iron is perceptibly sustained in
price for the time by the enforced cur
tailment of production, but the feeling
prevails that resumption of work in the
coal mines may be followed by lower
prices of iron. In all branches of this
great industry the decrease in railroad
demand is felt. The success of the
Atchison and some other railroad COM
panies in placing loans, and the recent
improving demand for bonds, do not
alter the fact that sales of securities to
actual investors continue much behind
those of corresponding weeks last year.
A BETTER TONE
in the stock market has been observed
for two days, but the business is still
mainly left to spectators. and the in
ability of promoters to place securities
may retard new railway building for
some time to come, though current re-
ports still show large gross earnings.
The storms, the strikes and the recent
disagreement. about rates may be felt a
little later. In other branches of Specu-
lation the tendency has been toward
lower level; wheat has declined l cent.
pork IS cents per barrel. sugar Is cent,
coffee a cent and Oil ~ cents, but oats
have advanced ~ cents, lard and hogs
are shade stronger. and tin has adj.
vanced fraction. There is a better
movement in wool, but quotations aver
age little lower. Cotton is unchanged.
while prices of many makes of bleached
and brown goods and fancy prints have
been advanced, and print cloths are
quoted at 1894 bid for Gas. The boot.
and shoe business is fairly active, with
shipments exceeding last year, and
prices of almost all kinds of leather,
favoring buyers. The business failures
during the last seven days number for
the United States 26S, for Canada 40, a
total of SIT, as compared with 314 last
week and 271 for the corresponding
week of last year.