Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1894-05-17
BUSINESS OUTLOOK.
Effects Of Strikes and Tariff Un-
certainty on Trade.
Merchants Are Buying for Actual Needs
Only-In Manufacturing Lines There
IL No Activisy-The Record
of Failures.
WORLD OF COMMERCE.

WORLD OF COMMERCE
NEW YORK, May A-Bradstreets re-
view Of trade says:
Prolonged warm weather has stimulated farm
work as well as sales IN seasonable lines of mer-
chandise. but renewed tarfn uncertainty tends
10 prolong the period during which merchants
will continue TO buy for actual needs only eyi.
dences Of which fact have appeared Bank clear
ings this week amount 70 1908 100000 q de-
crease OF a. per cent from the week before
(which showed an increase) and a decrease Of
81 per cent compared with the second week OF
May last year, when total clearlngs we're
among the largest on record The great coal
miners strike has been extended In the far west
ana in portions Of Maryland and the Virginias,
ana this has been followed by an increase IN the
number of industrial shut downs due 10 In
creasing scarcity OF fuel Not far from us, 900
men are reported idle in the coal trade alone,
and with those idle or Oh strike in other lines
the Total out Of work is not less than 22600
General trade remains dt&l, as does BUSH
ness In manufacturing lines at Buffalo, Cleve-
land, Detroit Cincinnati. Louisville, Milwau-
kee, Minneapolis and Omaha, except that at
the last-named more activity is reported in
dry goods and hardware Favorable crop
prospects and activity in agricultural lines
have checked trading by country mer-
chants. At Chicago, also there are increased
volumes Of sales with iobbers in dry goods, mil
linery and clothing, while the natural result
due 10 spring trade being completed and au
tumn trading not having made itself felt, Is
felt at St Louis At Kansas City trade in
staple lines is fairly good ana crop prospects
are excellent but at ST. Paul the volNme Of
business is small compared with previous years.
''rhe continuance OF the gold shipments TO
Europe, which amounted for the week 10 30, 000,-
600 has attracted attention, but appears to have
influenced speculative sentiment in very linn
tied degree"
Oun's Report.
r. g. Dun a. Co.'S review for the week
says:
THE speculation in grain has again broken
records with the lowest price ever made for
wheat although western receipts are little
smaller than year ago. while exports are also
smaller by more than quarter The prevail
ing belief is that the yield will as In other
years, far exceed government indications. which
are again pointing to q short crop II Is a
striking evidence Of the general want OF conf.
dence that there is so little speculation while
money is abundant almost beyond precedeAt
''One large failure about doubled the aggre-
gate OF liabilities for the firms failing in
the week ending May 3, which would other
wise have been quite small, but we're 81. g22 7a0.
The number and the general average Of liabfi-
ties are still encouragingly shrinking For the
last week the failures have been e06 IN the
United ST. los, against 257 last year, and A. 81
Canada. against % last year. with nothing OF
especial Importance, although four bank fail
ures are included