Omaha daily bee., 1890-01-18
DUN'S REVIEW OF The WEEK,
Improved Business Where Colder
Weather Has Prevailed.
LARGEST cLEARlNeS ON RECORD
An Increase in the Output OF Pig
lron--Anthracite o Prices Do-
Notwithstanding Reported
From the South.
The Weather Affects Business.

NEW YORK, Jan. Id Special Telegram to
THE BEE. -R. q. Dun & Co.'S. weekly re-
view of trade says:
Improvement in business is noted where
ever the recent change to colder weather has
been felt, Elsewhere unreasonable weather
Is still the complaint. Outbound shipments
from Chicago last week were i31, 1913 tons.
much the largest ever known. The exports
of provisions are heavy, the lard movement
last week reaching IA, 1S2, 500 pounds.
The cleariugs of banks last week were not
only the largest on record for that part of
the year, but showed an increase over last
year Of IL per cent outside of New York.
The weekly output of pig iron January 1
was 4,03s tons, against 1863, 051 December 1
aud 154, 89S a year ago. Inquiries indicate
that there is in the aggregate some accumula.
ton Of stocks. 1t also appears that the
market for bar iron is somewhat unsettled,
with a tendency toward conces-
sions, and plate iron is less firm.
Structural and sheet iron and nails are
steady. Unless the consumption of finished
products Is not only sustained but expanded,
the output of pig iron can hardly continue at
the present rate.
The stagnation in anthracite coal Is agra
waited. Prices are demoralized, and blum
nous coal. though active, Is easier.
Dry goods have slightly improved. Sta
pies and prints are firm and print
cloths BIZ cents for Gas. The wool and
wooden trades show distinct signs Of a d.
vision between the light goods and worsteds
and the heavier goods of nearly all kinds.
The latter are seriously depressed by the I'M
seasonable weather. But there is a marked
revival in the trade for domestic worsteds
and light goous, believed to be due to the
changes last year in the treasury rulings,
now for the first time felt.
The shipments of boots and
shoes from Boston in 1889 were g., 399, $50
cash, an increase of 4 per cent over 1883 and
so per cent since 1880. Reports from various
quarters are on the whole more favorable.
Collections are quite generally slow because
of the retarded distribution, but uneasiness
is reported at only a few points. Boston
notes that South American hides have sold
at the lowest point ever reached, but leather
Is in fair demand and groceries selling well.
Philadelphia observes the drug trade quiet
the clothing trade ana u fair hardware trade,
with slow collections.
AT Chicago business exceeds last years. in
dry goods, boots and shoes, with much re-
cent Improvement, very largely in grain and
provisions, but clothing IS dull and out of
season.
AT st. Louis the weather has
checked distribution, but otherwise trade is
Steauy. MANUFACTURES aJ cleveland are
active. but nearly all trade is dull and at
DetrolJ much affected by the mild weather,
but Improvement in the weather and trade is
seen at Omaha, ST. Pau and Milwaukee. All
southern reports note an active trade.
Tn exports Of cotton, provisions, oil,
breadstuffs and cattle in Decemper were
s74, 449. 927, against s67, 045, 345 in 1888, which
points to an aggregate Of exports exceeding
1914, 600, 900 for the month and again surpass-
ing imports by $26, 900. 900.
Foreign exchange has weakened to S4.S6
and the treasury has taken in for the week
only 81, 100, 600 more than IL has paid out. But
the money markets show on the whole rather
more pressure, which the heavy business in
progress and the tardy collections explain.
The stock market has been depressed.
The speculative markets for products are
irregular, but not very active. Wheat is
nearly a cent higher, with sales of only
l2, DOC, 900 bushels for the week, corn 1 cent
lower with sales nearly as large, and pork a
shade weaker.
Coffee is steady, oil II cents higher on
light dealings and sugar is again advanced a
shade, though the estimate of the European
beet crop is 3,445, GOO tons, against 2,764, 457
for the previous year. The general level of
prices Is a shade lower than a week ago.
The failures number 1856, as compared
with 1878 last week. For the corresponding
week of last year the figures were $50.