Omaha daily bee., 1890-02-22
DUN'S REVIEW OF The WEEK
A Less Confident Feeling Prevail
ing in BUSINESS Circles.
SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT.
An Increase in the Number OF Com
plants Regarding Slow CoIlec-
tions-1he Pittsburg Iron
Market Weaker.
The Commercial situation.

New YORK, Feb. 2l.-tSpecial Telegram
to THE BEE l-R. G, Dun & Co. IS weekly re-
view of trade says:
While the prevailing impression in bust
ness circles is rather less confident thai 1t
was a week ago, there are several signs Of
Improvement. Cooler weather has caused
a little more. activity in some lines of trade.
Wheat is q little stronger and without a
clearly defined reason there is q iirmer tone
In the eastern iron markets, while the re-
duction in the Bank of England rate from @
to 8 per cent, with its large gain of "a ,3l5, 900
in gold during the past week, diminlshes the
chance Of inconvenicnt demands from
abroad. On the other hand, general
trade is not increasing in volume
or in profits, and while its
soundness is indicated by the occurrence Of
fewer failures than many expected as the
result of phenomenally unreasonable
weather, the complaint of slow collections IS
common and rather increasing. Wool sells
slowly. coal is very duh, hardware duh, the
liquor trade fair, tobacco quiet with slow col
lections and tho grocery trade generally de-
pressed, with collections very poor.
AT Chicago grain receipts exceed last
yeer's and receipts of beef products and lard
are nearly or quite double, with a gain of so
per cent in cheese for the week and some
Improvement in hides and wool, but no
change is seen in clothing, though the dry
goods trade compares fairly with last year
and the shoe trade Is only fair.
Cleveland notes q fairly good trade, but
the bad condition of country roads affect
collections, though in some lines they grow
better.
Detroit observes fewer failures than were
unprecedented from the mild weather, but at
Miiwaukee extended time has been given on
many large accounts and cold weather has
come too late to clear the stocks in many
country stores.
Fair reports come from Omaha, st. Paul
ana Denver and indeed from most of the
western and southern points, but at Kansas
City trade is rather inactive and at Pitts
burg iron is weaker because OF the increased
southern competition, with a duller coal
trade, but good business in glass.
The foreign trade of the country is not as
favorable as 1T was two months ago. In
three weeks of February the exports from
New York show scarcely any increase and
the imports an increase OF only 3 per cent,
indicating thus far ar excess OF imports.
Wheat exports are still much above last
years and the price has risen az cents, with
reports of injury to the growing crop. Corn
exports largely exceed last years and the
price is &c lower, with oats &c lower.
Pork products are steady and moving out
ward fairly.
Speculation IN coffee is stronger at 20
CeubS, uu1 eubdT has uOl changed. IL Is ulln-
cult to account for the better tone which
clearly exists in the iron market here and at
Philadelphia, unless it IS due to the hope
that southern iron, which is now moving
from Sheffield at $3.50 per ton 70 Pittsburg
and selling somewhat largely, may hereafter
affect the western rather than the eastern
markets.
The local money market has been easy at
unchanged rates, although the treasury has
taken in since last Saturday 81, 400, 600 more
Il fhnn 1 hnu III ont and nfan,N ,1l
with some cities is adverse. 1t Is hardly to
| be expected that the banks will be able to
gain in strength until April, but the decline
In foreign exchanges to 8 S6A puts further
away the possibility of gold exports.
The business failures accruing %throughou
the country duriug the last seven days num-
Der 271. For the same week of last year the
figures were 270.