Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1890-12-06
MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN BUSINESS.
Striking Increase in Trade at Home and
with Foreign Countries.

with Foreign Countries.
| congratulate the Congress and the country
upon the passage at the first session OF the FIFTY
first Congress Of an unusual number of laws of
very high Importance. That the results Of this
legislation will be the quickening and enlarge
Dlent Of our manufacturing industries, larger
and better markets for our breadstuffS and
provisions both at home and abroad, more con-
slant employment and better wages for our
working people. and an increased supply OF a
safe currency for the transaction of business, l
do not doubt Some of these measures were en-
acted at so late period that the beneficial Ell
iects upon commerce which were in the CON
tenn platiou of Congress have as yet but partially
manifested themselves.
The general trade and industrial conditions
throughout the country have shown marked
Improvement. For many years prior to 1888 the
merchandise balances OF foreign trade had been
largely in our favor, but during that year and
the year following they turned against US 1t Is
very gratifying to know that the last fiscal year
again shows a balance in our favor OF over $685.
100000 The bank clearings, which furnish a
good test of the volume OF business transacted
for the first ten months of the year $780, show,
compared with the same months of 1889, an in
crease for the whole country of about S.4 per
cent, while the increase outside of the city OF
New York was over Is per cent. During the
month of October the clearlngs OF the whole
country showed an increase OF 5. per cent. over
October, 1889, while outside of New York the in
crease was lIl% per cent. These figures show
that the increase in the volume of business was
very general throughout the country. That
this larger business was being conducted upon
n safe and profitable basis is shown by the fact
that there were 800 less failures reported in Octo
Der, 1890, than in the same month of the preced-
ing year, with Liabilities diminished by about
S. 100000
The value of our exports of domestic merchan-
disc during the last year was over S115.00o0Oo
greater than the preceding year, and was only
exceeded once in our history. About 100000
600 of this excess was in agricultural products.
The production of pig iron-always a good
gauge of general prosperity-is shown by re-
cent census bulletin to have been 15S per cent
greater in 1890 than in $780, and the production
of steel 800 per cent. greater. Mining in coal
has had no limitation except that resulting from
deficient transportation The general testimony
is that labor is everywhere fully employed. and
the reports for the last ear show smaller num-
Der of employees affected by strikes and lockout
than in any year since 1884. The depression in
the prices of agricultural products has been
greatly relieved and buoyant and hopefultone
was beginning to be felt by all our people.
These promising influences have been in some
degree checked by the surprising and very I'M
fayora BILE monetary events which have recently
taken place III England 1t is gratifying to
know that these did not grow in any degree out