The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-14
A DULL TINE FOR TRADE.
NO EMBARRAssMENTS FROM POOR
COLLECTIONS.

Failures in the Aggregate Less Numer-
Gus than a Month Ago-Payments
on Large Fall Purchases Soon to-
Becoms Due-Speculative Dullness d
Good Sign.
New YoRK, Jan. 13.--R. G. Dun s. Co.'S
weekly review of trade says:
With perhaps a little more than the usual
dullness for the first half Of January, BUSH
ness still progresses without momentary
pressure, or unusual embarrassment from
failure Of collections in any part Of the
country. While failures at some points are
numerous, the aggregate is less frequent
than month ago. Within thirty or sixty
days payments on large fall purchases will
be required, and some increase in failures
would not be- surprising, for the
shringage in business toward ths
end of last year indicated that
there had been over-cQnfdent buying
in some departments. But the new year
opens with less embarrassment from that or
other causes than was reasonably appre-
hended.
SPECULATION DULL.
The speculative markets are generally
dull, which is not a bad symptom for legiti-
mate trade. The industries are somewhat
disturbed by strikes and legislative or busl-
ness uncertainties The great coal
strike grows more effective and
outside of the Stock Exchange
circles does not seem near an end, but the
actual output of coal for the first week of
January was 5.3 per cent larger than for
the same week last year. The shortness OF
the supply and high prices disturb manufac-
tories at Philadelphia and many other
points, and it may prove unfortunate for
Northern iron producers that they are just
IL L. %
furnaces to hold prices firmly when South
ern makers are eifecbng contracts at $50
for No and $l6 for mill iron.
NO CHANGE IN RAILS.
In rails there is no change. Sales of bpr
at 81 30 at Philadelphia shows weakness,
while the nail market is stifPer, at 81 O5-
The furnaces in blast Jan. 1 were in capaci-
ty 7,0l5 tons below the record of Dec. l, a
larger decrease than was expected, but the
increase in comparison with Jan. /, 1887 IL
about II 900 tons weekly, and the outputs
last year is reported by the Iron Age at
6,433, 1921 tons, gain over 1886 Of l3 per
| cent. The association reports that 2,049, 63S
tons of steel rails were made, a gain of 81
per cent over 1886.
There is unusal prosperity of cotton manu-
facture, with fair prices and a well-sus-
tanned demand for higher wages for spin
ners, which threaten to end in a serious
| strike. At present the effect is to hasten
purchases and stiffen prices.
The wooden business shows no definite inn
provement.
NOTHING NEW IN THE INTERIOR.
Reports from the interior present fewer
| features of interest than usual, trade being
everywhere quiet or dull, as is usual at this
season; money being generally easier with
some tendency to stringency at St Paul,
and collections being at all points fairly
satisfactory on the whole At Philadelphia,
on account Of the strikes in the coal
regions, there is some feeling OF
| disturbance, and there and at other
points apprehensions of Congressional
| action effects some calculation, though
most persons are confident that no really
harmful legislation will result. The exports
| in December will probably show more de-
crease than has been anticipated IN compar-
| ison with the same month of 1886, for the
decline in cotton was 1900, 900 pounds, or
| $40, III 1921. The oil exports were $780,
900 gallo::s larger, but prices being lower,
the increase in value was only 1896, ,62l. AT
New York the exports for the two weeks Of
January show a decrease of 2 per cent.
The business failures occurring through
out the country last week number for the
United States 258, and for Canada 80, or
total of 288, as against 273 last week.