Omaha daily bee., 1888-04-01
WEEKLY BUSINESS REVIEW,
Bankers Have Plenty Of Funds For
All Requirements.
A FAIR DEMAND FOR MONEY.
The Unreasonable Weather Rctards
Business - Interest Rates I'm
changedd-Bankers Regard tho
Outlook With Dissatisfaction.
The Weeks Business.

The Weeks Business.
CHICAGO, March 31.--lSpecial Telegram to
the BEE. There is nc particular pressure
for loans, and bankers are amply supplied
with funds to meet requirements from all
sources. With the opening of lake navlga-
ton and the resumption of business incident
to the season, the demand for money will
probably show some Improvement. AT pres
ent there is a fair miscellaneous demand for
money, but not for large sums in any depart
ment of trade. Bankers are inclined to pur-
sue a very conservative course, and gener-
ally insist on wide margins and undoubted
security, regarding the outlook with some
little dissatisfaction owing to the unsettled
selling, on account of labor complica-
tions, the depression in railroad
securities, and Irregularities in
freights in the west and southwest. Specu-
lators in grain and provisions are borrowing
| very little money at present, as they are not
operating beyond their private means and
generally accept small losses or profits. Con-
siderable money Is being forwarded to grain
and live stock districts, but largely through
private sources. Lumbermen require some
~favors, but not for large amounts, and chiefly
to cancel indebtedness incident to the break
ing up of logging camps. Wholesale mer-
chants present about the usual amount of
| paper for discount, and succeed in obtaining
all the favors requested. Farmers are some
what delayed in their spring work by the UNI
seasonable weather, and this has a
tendency to retard business of all kinds.
| Rates of interest are steady and unchanged.
In eastern financial centers there is a little
more money offered, and borrowers succeed
in obtaining all Accommodations needed for
legitimate business purposes at 505H per
cent. Foreign money markets exhibit very
little change. Balances IN England banks
show a reduction, while continental banks
are increasing their specie supplies. Interest
rates are easy and favor buyers.
New York exchange was in light supply
during the past week, and the demand some
what larger. The market was stronger and
prices ruled higher. Sales were made at par
@5Oc premium per $1,000, and the
market closed steady at 40c premium.
Foreign exchange was in moderate request
during the week and the offerings were fair.
Shippers sixty days documentary bills on
London changed hands at A.S44@4S4&, and
closed steady at 1887.
The New York stock market exhibited con-
siderable life during the past week, and
trading was quite active. The undertone TO
the market in railroad shares and securities
indicated considerable uneasiness and weak
ness, engendered by strikes of railroad en-
ployes and complications arising from the
difficulty of adjusting freight rates. There
| has been a general desire to realize and the
chief support of the market has been the de-
mand for outstanding contracts. Outside
parties were moderately free sellers, and for
eign operators favored the selling side of the
market. Wall street spectators traded with
considerable freedom. Prices ruled lower on
all the leading stocks, and were subject to
frequent fluctuations, and the marked closed
rather tame. Foreign markets were some
what unsettled with prices ~favoring buyers.
The interest during the week conferred in
Reading, Delaware, DackaWanna q Western,
| Missouri Pacific and st. Paul. Sales on the
New York exchange for the week aggregated
500, GOO shares.
Rather more steadiness has been mani
Tested in the leading produce markets during
the week Just closed, and a good speculative
business was transacted. Early there was
some pressure to sell by leading local oper-
ators, which forced prices to such limits as
to bring considerable property on the mar
ket held on stop orders or carried on margins
which were exhausted. This added some
what to the depression, yet free buying on the
part of shorts tended to check the downward
tendency in prices, and during the balance of
the week n slight rally in prices was gained,
though the outside figures were not sup
ported to the close.
The course of the provision market denoted
considerable sympathy with the changes in
the grain markets. The shipping demand
for both grain and provisions was quite
active, showing the same Improvement, to
supply the wants of both the foreign
- maj y lAli1 ~ IltAkI
rather freely. Advices from abroad indicate
a quiet feeling in the grain markets, with
prices favoring buyers, excepting corn, while
provisions were steadier. Domestic markets
have shown only slight fluctuations, with a
little trading in a general way. Exporters
have been moderately free buyers of grain
and provisions, though a good proportion of
the orders received were limited to figures
below the views of sellers, and in some
instances slight concessions in prices were
granted.
Reports relative TO the condition Of winter
grain are somewhat conflicting, though the
impression prevails that the unreasonable
weather of the past three or four weeks has
inflicted some damage IN certain localities.
Spring work on farms has been delayed and
the seeding season is fully ten days to two
weeks late throughout the west. Receipts of
grain have not been quite so free at western
points, and the movement eastward was
quite liberal, encouraged to some extent by
the advance in prices of the near deliveries
of some articles AT the seaboard markets.
The export market was quite liberal of
breadstufts and provisions.
western markets have been fair, especially
of cattle and hogs. The packing Of hogs is
progressing favorably, and the aggregate is
somewhat IN excess of last seasons returns
10 date. stock of grains are gradually di-
minishing, while the supply Of provisions
shows little change.
H~nugat,a,ar ,Vhn bay-n hoo, n.,,,.