St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-28
COLLECTIONS SLOW,
And General Business Of Hest
tating Character.

New YORK, Feb. Pr. G. Dun &
Co.'s Weekly Review of Trade says:
There is not much change in the condi-
ton of trade, but there is little more
dizziness at the South, and in the North
west. with a little more stringency in
money markets and complaint about
slowneSs of collections. In general,
business is still hesitating. The larger
cause is undoubtedly the partial loss of
crops, which has left a great many
farmers without means for the usual
purchases. At the same time the col
lapse of the real estate boom which
so wildly inflated prices through
out the West and South has affected
business mere than has yet been real
lied. TO this influence is added at the
South the extremely low values of cot
ton, which affects farmers the more be-
cause so many of them tried, by hold
ing back their crop, to force a higher
level of prices. Collections were slow
at st. Louis, Denver and Omaha, easy
and prompt in dry goods, but not so
prompt as before in clothing and boots
and shoes in Chicago; satisfactory at
st. Paul, but somewhat slow at Detroit,
while at Cleveland much good CONNER
cial paper is renewed, and quite pro-
portion of country merchants are send
ing in notes instead Ut money. AT
Philadelphia there are tolerably
good collections in clothing and
dry goods, but poor in jew
elry and extremely poor in
paints. The money markets, though
still generally called easy. give signs of
steady approach to stringency, and at
Omaha money is quite close, at Mil
waukee in active demand, and at Cleve-
ctr O
locked up in iron ore. At Boston some
scarcity of ioanable funds is noticed,
and rates are firm and higher. South
ern reports generally note fair de-
mand, but no improvement in trade,
while Northwestern reports are, on the
whole, less favorable than before as to
the state of business. AT Denver bust
ness is better, and at Milwaukee, and no
change is noticed at Kansas City. and
St. Paul. but it is only fair at Omaha,
not so strong at st. Louis, quiet
at Cincinnati except that the
carriage trade is active, and
only fair in many manufactures
at Detroit. AT Cleveland trade is fairly
good. but brisk in hardware and man u
featured iron, and the strike strength
ems iron in Pittsburg. But at Chicago
there is some decrease in receipts of
nearly all products except cured meats
and wool, and it is noted that the warm
weather and low prices keep down ship
mentS of boots and shoes to the country.
Business at Eastern cities has been IT.
regular. The wool trade is strenthened
by comparative scarcity. and prices of
some grades are higher. The knit goods
manufacture has apparently gained
most. Trade in cottOns dull. In rub
Der goods trade is unsettled The glass
trade is fair at PittSburg and light at
Philadelphia. In general, at Eastern
cities marked decrease in building has
caused dizziness i'll the markets for all
materials. This is in part the cause OF
the recent slackness in the iron bus
mess, though the strike has now pro-
duced more inquiry in pig iron. Steel
rails do not move because buyers doubt
the permanence of the condition. Coal
is dull. No change is observed in the
minor metals. There has been an cad
vance in the average prices of all COM
moditieS amounting to half of / per
cent for the week, but it has been almost
exclusively In products of which crops
were short. The price of wheat has not
advanced, Western receipts continuing
heavy. while exports are light. But
corn has risen 215c and oats 1s4c. A
speculative advance of over half a cent
is also seen in coffee. The exports of
merchandise from New York for the
past four weeks have been IA per cent
less than for the same weeks last year.
and imports also decrease about 10 per
cent. The business failures during the
last seven days number 200, as against
297 last week. For the corresponding
week of last year the figures were 301.