The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-12-29
puN.s REVIEW.
The Condition of Trade Anything But
Satisfactory.


Satisfactory.
NEW YORK, Dec. 23.-R- G. Dun &
Co.'S Weekly Review SAYS:
The year is practically over. except the holi-
day business. which Is remarkably well sus-
tanned as respects number or sales. considering
the state Of industries and the army of uneu1-
ployed- but Is materially diminished in volume
because purchases averaged much smaller in
value than in recent years Probably the
stocks OF holiday goods of the better class left
on hand after next week will be larger than
usual
Other business. AL branches included, 80
pears, from clearing house returns s5i per
cent les than last year at the same date But
much business is done st prices which return
no profit merely to keep hands together or re-
tain customers. and the losses by numerous
and heavy failures reduce profits even where
the volume OF transactions has given fair
promise Changes during the past week have
not been cheering IN character, but the minds
OF many are now turning to the dawn Of the
Few year with hope Of better things
Speculation is torpid except in a few stocks
and in cotton With scanty buying. wheat has
changed little in prices. though western re-
ceipts have been onlv 2T4a5I4 bushels against
4iss,Oie last year. Wheat Is cents lower than
year ago. corn 81 cents: pork, e. 50 per bar
rel; and cotton cents
Stock operations are almost confined to q few
favorttes, especially industrials, which are af-
fected by rumors OF changes in taxation The
war OF rates continues. and though Vanderbilt
lines made encouraging reports and declared
usual dividends, the feeling prevails that all
important roads must share il the shrinkage OF
business Earnings in December thus far are
4per cent less than last year, on the trunk
lines. Is per cent; ON western wheat carrying
roads, 249 per cent; on other western roads,
IA per cent; on southern roads. s per cent,
and on Pacific roads. 10 per cent
The failure Of the Crane Iron Co. at the end
Of last week with some other smaller failures,
outweighed the influence of the resumption of
work By few iron works, and has increased
depression at the east Bessemsr iron Is
shipped to Philadelphia from Pittsburgh.
where it sells at slo IS. and gray forge sells for
ts3i at Mshoning Valley furnaces. but even in
that region the manufacturer keeps only s.415
of the ConneIlsville coke ovens at work, while
e,0sS are idle. Tue reduction in prices in
bleached cotions last week and OF leading
white sheetnys this week has been less effect
i've in stimulating trade than was expected,
aud print cloths are selling at cents.
The wooden trade has started three more
mills, but six have stopped. one employing
a0O0 hands, and others are reported about to
stop when stocks in hand are worked up The
sales Of wool at the three chief markets were
only 3 05 700 pounds for the week. against s.
5a7, 40 last year. and throughout the west the
trade completely paralyzed The shoe man
ufacturer does somewhat better. though ship
ments from Boston show q decrease OF 81 per
cent for the week and many factories are
working on orders now nearly exhausted. while
few new orders come in and sales from stocks
are commonly rare which Is most unusua when
stocks in dealers hands are small
Foreign trade still shrinks exports for three
weeks having been 10 per cent less than last
year and imports at New York - per cent
- -.
coming the silver bullion on hand substitution
Of other Issues for government paper currency.
issues Of bonds and a tax on incomes derived
from corporations. attracts not much attention
but notwithstanding the abundance OF money
the market is rather less confident in feeling
1t IS believed however. that the usual pinch
about January will not occur.
Failures for the week were 5H in the United
States. against ss3 last year. and 81 in Canada,
against Is last year