Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-09
THE OPENING WEEK.
Commercially, a Quiet Stateof Affairs
Marks the New Year,
ACCORDING TO THE BIG AGENCIES.
No Perceptible Change in Iron, but Vast
Demand for Coal.
THREE YEARS OF TRADE COMPARED

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATCH.l
NEW YORK, Jan. Especial kilograms
TO BradStreet's indicate acontinuance of dull
ness in mercantile circles generally this
week. Stock-taking has not been univer-
sally completed as yet, and where it has
been travelling statesmen are only beginning
TO go out after the holidays. Very wide
spread confidence is expressed in the out
look for good spring trade, with excep-
tions at some points in the South. Within
another ten days jobbers and others will
have taken the necessary steps TO test the
nature of the spring demand for staples of
all sorts
There is no gain in the request for pig
iron as vet, and for anthracite coal prices
have been comparatively weak. Leather
and hides are not in active demand, and
lumber and rubber only moderately so.
Live cattle are dull and featureless, but
hogs at Western markets are steady. The
pack at Cincinnati exceeds that of several
preceding years.
Decreases Still Shown in Clearings.
The bank clearings at A cities throughout
the United States aggregate S55, 675, OBS, 900,
fully per cent less than.in 1890, and even
a trife less than the corresponding total in
1889 New York City's decreased bank
elearings total, it being 60 per cent of the
aggregate for II cities, was about 10 per
cent: the total for 43 other cities, reporting
40 per cent of the clearngs of the country,
decreased only &c per cent in 1891.
Sugar is firm, and wheat and flour hold
their own on the basis of recent quotations.
Available stocks of wheat in the United
States and Canada, both coasts January 1,
were as, O56, 600 bushels, Is, 900, 600 and 16,-
O00 600 bushels, respectively, more than
were held January l, 1891. and January I,
1890 Five wears ago. however, like stocks
of wheat aggregated Is, 600, 900 bushels more
than on January l, 1892, the excess being
chiefly of spring wheat.
Drygoods and Its Constituent Material.
The wholesale drygoods trade generally
is preparing to open spring goods. Cot
ton goods are moving slowly but stocks are
well cleaned out and prices are steady.
Export demand is light, but shipments of
brown cottons in 1891 exceeded in value
those Of 1890 by almost 100000. Print
cloths at Fall River and Providence
continue to improve and heavy trade is ex-
pected in prints for spring wear Cling
hams are receiving considerable attention,
but wooden goods are quiet and unchanged
in prices Cotton has declined 3-16c on the
week on free crop movement, and the de-
preston in general trade throughout heavy
cotton-producing regions in consequence of
this. is marked. No nearby advances in
wool prices is looked for at the East, owing
10 large supplies of the foreign product
Territorial wool is not selling as well as in
December. The demand for Texas, Oregon
o. l.. e
light
Fair Financial Situation.
Speculation in the New York share mar
ket is very active, with marked advances in
quotations and increased participation by
the public. European interests, however,
are either passive or have sold stocks, and
the manipulation of specialties and over
speculation by professional operators has
occasioned a sharp reaction, which, how
ever, does not essentially check the i'm
proving tendency OF quotations. The bond
market is active, with large and steady in
vestment demand, and the loan market con-
tinues to show the effect of a more than
ample supply of funds. Foreign exchange
is firm on large inquiry and limited sup
ply Of bills.
There were 339 business failures in the
United States this week, against 391 in the
like week a year ago, and 354 two years ago.
Canada has 46 this week, against like
number one and two wears ago.
Exports Of wheat, including flour, are in
creasing again, as per special advices TO
BradNtreet's s, amounting TO 5,321. COO bushels
within a week, a gain of from 80 to 60 per
cent over the two preceding weeks, and In
dian corn exports for the week equal =, ,646,-
900 bushels, Jump of 50 per cent within
week. while those of rye have declined to
q ,965 bushels. and of oats to 33S, $40 bush
els less than one-half the totals in the week
before.
Trade in Three Years Compared.
The probable total output of cereal and |
other agricultural produce, metals and min
erals in rhe United States in the calendar |
wear 1891, together with live stock totals, |
as compared with 1890 and 1885, and stocks |
on hand January l, 1892, 1891 and 1890, are |
as folSws: