Omaha daily bee., 1891-04-18
PROBLEM OF TRANSPORTATION
Consideration of the subjoo. by the Western
Commercial Congress,
BUSINESS OUTLOOK ENCOURAGING.
less Pressure in the Money Market
Crop Prospects Good-Incrcase
in Failures the Past
Week.

New YoRK, April lG.-lSpccial Telegram
to TnE Bee. R. G.. Dun Il Co.'s weekly re-
view of trade says;
With better weather there Is visible inn
provcment in trade and collections, and
Whllo 1T Is but slight as vet the outlook for
the future is generally regarded as cncourng-
ing. The crop prospects continue excellent.
There is less monetary pressure at points
where some stringcncy has existed aud in
the chief industries there is some improve
ment in the demand. Meanwhile the volume
ol trade continues nearly as large in aggre-
gate value as it was year ago, some de-
crease in the quantities of important pro-
ducts being balanced by an advance in the
level OF prices, which was nearly 10 per cent
higher than year ago April |, and
Is still more than l3 per cent higher
The iron trade shows u greater skrinkage
than any other There is seen u somewhat
better demand for finished products, ospocl-
ally for structural iron and rails. Tho an.
thracite coal trade still drags The consumu-
ton of copper is slow. and tin is quarter
weak, with lead dull.
The spinncrs takings of cotton coutinuc
SllEhtly greater than year ago with exports
very much larger. Wool Is dull and until
the new clip comes forward much activity il
not to be expected
AT Boston the demand for merchandise
generally has improved and the retail trade
mas been quite heavy. In nearly all trades
collections are slow Some kinds of finished
IRON at Plttsburg are weaker, but glass is
unchanged. At Cleveland trade Is generally
inactive, but good in groceries and hard
ware, and some improvement is seen at
CINCINNATI, especially IN groceries, and also
IN general trade, at Detroit. The sales
OF dry goods at Chicago fall
year and clothing is quiet, but shoes active
and collections in all those trades good The
receipts OF lard and buttor show a Slight de-
crease, and of dressed beef and cheese some
increase, with a considerable gain in wool.
At Omaha, st. Paul, Minneapolis and Den
yer trade is fairly good. The prices of lum-
per and flour are improving. Business is
dull at Kansas City and Memphis but i'm
proved at New Orleans and Atlanta
In the speculative market there has been n
general advance in breadstuifs, hogs and
lard, decline in oil, and no change in cotton
and coffee. A larger export demand,
ana 5is! reports of scarcity abroad, have
lifted wheat pa cents to $l.l9li with sales of
l6OOOOOO bushels here Oats has risen 2
cents to 6ll3 cents, and corn 81 cents to
S2@I cents on small sales. The actual
scarcity of corn and oats makes an advance
easy but of wheat the receipts at western s.
points continue larger than a year ago, and
the exports, until very lately. have been
much smaller II is noteworthy that in all
winter wheat sections the wheat is con-
sldered exceptionally good and the average is
reported as largely increased
Raw sugar has yielded shade this week
put all refined above granulated is a shade
higher. With breadstutTs and vegetables ,
unusually high and wool about the same as a
year ago. Cotton is much lower
Drugs ami chemicals are lower
iron and its products and the range of
manufactured products are generally rather
lower, Notwithstanding tho expansion of
more than $4,000, 900 in the circulation dur
ing the year. The treasury has again paid
out this week more money than it has taken
IN. The exports of merchandise are increas-
ing and for two weeks at New York exceed
last years by IS per cent In March the
exports of cotton, breadstuffs, provisions.
cattle and petroleum from all the
chief ports We're in value So, ,409637,
against S52. 766,262 last year. indicating
no increase III the aggregate of OK.
ports, while the heavy imports of sugar
raised the aggregate about S. 900 at New
York alone above that of the same month last
year. Probably the imports begin to exceed
the exports in that month and an outward
movement OF specie may DO expected until
the new crops come.
The business failures occurring throughout
the country during the last seven days mum
Der 25l, rs compared with total of 243 last
week. For the corresponding week of last
year the figures were PA.