Omaha daily bee., 1890-12-20
DUN'S REVIEW OF THE WEEK.
.-H'-. ..
Three Causes for the Present Display of Lack
of Confidence.
FINANCIAL LEGISLATION IS FEARED.
A Monetary Stringcncy at Most Points
New Years Will Ring i'm Better
Collie ecions-Fair Trade
in the South.
LEGISLATION IS FEARED.

New YoRK, Dec. 19-TSpecial Telegram to
to The BEE. n. G.. Dun & Co.'s weekly re-
view of trade says: Business continues
large for the season, but there is perceptible
loss of the feeling Of confidence. The causes
appear to be- Q,) the prospect of important
monetary legislation, the effects OF which
are not clearly foreseen (2,) the frequent
failures and greater difficulties in making
collections, and (3,) less satisfactory condi-
tions In some large branches of industry.
Probably more people are affected as to
business undertakings, often unconscously
by the uncertainty of financial legislation
and It's effects than by any other cause
Though the rate for money on call Is lower
than week ago, and money is lower at Bos-
ton and Philadelphia, there is still strin-
gency Mt most points throughout the country.
Complaints of slow collections have rarely
been more general, and in many cases settle
ments can be made only with notes or renew
ais. But in all quarters there is hope that
after January things may improve in this
respect if Legislative prospects do not mean
while cause greater shrinkage OF credits
and curtailment Of purchases. Foreign
influences arc not now disturbing. Exports
OF products for the two weeks of December
from New York show gain of per cent
was hardly eversurpassed. Though imports
continue heavy they are greatly exceeded by
the exports at present. Exports OF cotton
thus far this month exceed last year and also
of provisions, but there is "a heavy decrease
in grain caused by the speculative prices
here.
Trade at the south Is fair, at most points
reportng healthy at New Orleans with
larger cotton receipts, dull at Memphis, but
more confident at Little Rock, slightly i'm
ot fn,tt mud nt a h.
vile, less confident at Jacksonville, and at
Atlanta the accumulations of cotton are
large.
Money is very close at all points, the banks
helping customers. as far as they can, but
collections are not up to the average.
Across the Mississippi, st. LOUIS has colder
weather favoring all lines of trade, but at
Kansas City the holiday trade is below the
average. At Denver the trade is only fair.
At Salt Lake it is improving some At
Omaha it is fair. AT Minneapolis it is steady
for lumber and improving in prices for -four
and at ST. Paul confidence is returning. Col
lections in this region are only fair.
AT Chicago the receipts of wheat and wool
are a third below last years; of hides
larger and Of other products about the same.
The sales of merchandise exceed last years
Money is firm and regular, business is sup
piled and there is confidence in the immedi-
ate future AT Milwaukee and Detroit the
trade is good. At Cleveland it is fair and at
Pittsburg reports more confidence in the
trade in manufactured iron and in glass it is
slower and Bessimer blooms are lower. The
banks are less apprehensive, but cautious.
Confidence improves at Boston. Though
money is easier at Philadelphia the note
worthy feature is the general difficulty of
collections, especially in iron, paints, oils,
jewelry and glass. Trade is fair in all these
lines and glass plates are sitter, but lower
prices are expected in wool, and the demand
for tobacco is light.
The anthrocite coal trade is demoralized,
and restrictions of the output do not restrict.
A general breakup Of the combine is being
Philadelphia or here. The demand for fin
ished products generally is slack and the
closing of more furnaces is likely to be ferced.
Copper is unsettled, but tin is shade
stronger at 20. SIS cents and lead at 4.10.
The dry goods trade feels the influence of
recent failures and OF the stringency IN COM
mercial loans.
In the speculative markets the tendency
has generally been downward, though wheat
is W cents higher than week ago in spite
of the phenomenally large exports and the ac-
cumulating stocks.
Corn is 21s cents lower: pork 75 cents per
barrel; nogs, 45 cents per 100 pounds, and oil
changed for the week,
1t is noteworthy that the speculative mar
kets are all .hesitating in the feeling that
monetary legislation may indefinitely alter
the situation. Hence the largely increased
immediate supplies of money by the imports
of gold, and treasury disbursements have less
effect than might be exp xpected.
The business failures occurring through
out the country during the last seven days
number 404 as compared with 314 last week.
For the corresponding week of last year the
figures Were 342.