Morning journal and courier., 1890-02-15
WEEKLY REVIEW OF TRADE.

The Business outlook More Favorable
Tho Volume of Business Large-No
Change In the Iron Business-Textile
Industries More Hopeful-Lumber In
Good Demand-A Decline in the Price
of Wheat and C0rn-EnOrm0u GUS Spec.
ulatiOns In CottOn-Ce6ee Steady
Business Failures for the Week.
NEW YORK, Feb. 14.-The weekly trade
review of r. q. Dun & Co. of the mercantile
agency says: The business outlook is some-
what more favorable. Reports as to collec
lions are satisfactory with few exceptions.
Milwaukee notes ''only moderately good" col
lections; Kansas City rather quiet; Cleveland
rather slow and Detroit slow from country
towns, while at Philadelphia the only Slows
ness especially noted is in tho retail dry
goods and in the tobacco trades.
The volume of business continues surpris.
ingly large, with Improvement observed at
st. Paul, at Boston and in some lines at
Cleveland. While dry goods jobbers are do
ing better at Philadelphia, their trade is still
behind that of last year.
Bank clearings show gains of per cent. at
Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago and IL per
cent. over last year at all other cities outside
of New York.
There is still no really adverse change in
the iron business and the weekly output of
furnaces February 1 was 173, 651 tons against
ia ,OS8 January 1, q gain of 1853 per cent.
over the output of a year ago. The demand
for pig does not yet indicate probable ad
vance in price and at Pittsburg Bessemer Is a
little weaker, but other iron rather stronger,
because of the increase of 10 per cent. con-
ceded In wages of coke workers. Copper and
tin are lower abroad, selling here at Az for
lake and 205s for straits, and lead is lower at
| about $50.
No relief appears in the cos1 business and
agreement to .ooo 900, the output in JanG.
ary having been 800, 900 tons below that of
| last year.
The textile industries present more hope
full aspect. With steady and strong demand
for goods cotton manufacturers have increased
their takings of cotton largely since January
/, so that the aggregate now exceeds that of
the last crop year to date. There il a
better demand for wooden goods also
| although manufacturers pursue a conservative
course and sales of wool are better at Phila-
delphia and reach 2, 800, 900 pounds at Boston
for the week without further weakening In
price.
In the boot and shoe trade previous
conditions hold out but the demand for
leather is steady and hides are distinctly
6rmer. Rubber goods are moving slowly,
The demand for lumber at Boston Is very
good, and in this city and Phila.
delphia building materials generally are in
strong demand. The disposition to push
urally increased by the resolution of the
building trades to demand the eight hour ar.
rangement by May I, a proposition which
most employers consider impracticable.
The recent advance in window glass II
firmly maintained and other branches of Ia
Dor are generally well employed. The spec
ulative markets have not tended upward
} during the past week.
In wheat, with sales of $4,000, 900 bushels
here, there has been q decline of 8 8 of {
cent, and in corn, with sales of 10, 000, 00t
bushels, decline of "a, the current price
even at the seaboard being only IS 8 cents
Oats are also 8 s lower, and pork productl
! unchanged, as Is oil with small transactions
The speculation In cotton has been enor
NOUS. sales reaching 850. 900 bales for tn
week, with an advance Of quarter.
Coffee has been steady with moderate
J sales, but sugar 1-16 lower and sales
cents per 100 pounds below the trust price
continue to weaken the refined, thougl
the trust stock has been vigorously ad
! vanced.
The exports of wheat and -four have fallel
: much below those of the same time Las
: year, while corn exports continue large. Til
strength of cotton ia partly due to q govern
ment which is interpreted as indicating
yield of only about 7,200, 600 bales. TIL
. general level of prices, notwithstanding tn
: decline in bread stuffs, Ia about half of pc
7 cent. higher than February /.
The business failures occurring Throughout
3 the country during the last seven days, q
! reported by r. q. Dun & Co. and E. Russo
2 Co., of the mercantile agency, number fo
the United States 24O, and for Canada 50, 9
!; q total of 800 as compared with . total of so
last week, and 291 the week previous to tn
J last. For the corresponding week of la.
J, year the figures were $50, representing "a
, failures In the United States, and 46 In til
}. Dominion of Canada.