The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-12-29
REACTION SETS IN
TRADE EXPERIENCES A SHRINK
AGE AFTER THE HOLIDAYS.
Outlook for Conservative Buying
Cold Weather Brings Up Heavy
TextileS-Retail Stocks West and
South LOw-Staple Merchandise
Firm-Farm Products Movements.

| New York, Dec. 23.-Bradstreet's to-
morrow will say: General trade pre-
| sents the usual holiday characters
tics. A majority of wholesale dealers
| and manufacturers are beginning to
have finished taking account Of stock
or arranging settlements for the new
year. Main activity has been for
Christmas specialties in retail lines
The practical conclusion of holiday
trade has brought about moderate re-
action and this emphasizes the dull
ness noted in preceding weeks.
Jobbers claim that the outlook for
trade during the late winter and early
spring is for very conservative buy
ing. But in some lines, notably heavy
textiles, the recent cold weather has
stimulated sales and reports from re-
tailers west and south indicate that
stocks are low, almost beyond prece-
dent. Travelling statesmen, with few
exceptions, are off on the road. Bos-
ton reports 37,600,o0O pounds OF wool in
that city, compared with a stock OF
43,500,0o0 one year ago, the decrease
being exclusively in domestic varie-
ties.
Industries are shut down in many
instances TO make repairs or take stock
and owing to extremely low prices for
Industrial staples the wage movement
tends downward. Quotations for sta
pie merchandise show more firmnesS,
with sugar, cotton, wheat, corn, steel,
naval stores, tobacco, tin and copper
practically unchanged in prices. Oats,
among cereals, record a fractional ad-
vance, while print cloths and other
staple cottonS are lower in conformity
with results OF recent auctions and
pork and lard with increa sing supplies
of lower grade of live stock at western
markets. Coffee, too. is depressed and
there are rumors Of contracts for iron
and steel at q shade under last weeks
questions although not confirmed.
Reduced stocks of American availa bic
supplies of wheat, Notwithstanding re-
ports in the visible supply statement
of net increase, tend TO strengthen
wheat but the surprisingly large total
of that cereal C1our included as wheat
sent abroad last week, is fully offset by
the shrinkage in such exports this week.
the total both coasts of the United
States being 1,S14.000 bushels compared
with 3.554000 bushels in the previous
week, 2,036,000 bushels in the week a
year ago, $4,000 two years ago, $780,
coo bushels three years ago and as con-
trasted with 1,031. 900 bushels for the
last week inthe calendar year of 1890.
Mercantile failures in the United
States for the calendar year December
q, 1898 to December 26 go aggregate
12,121, or is per cent less than in the
panic year 1893, when the total, 1850
was 81 per cent less than in 1892. LA
bilities of failing traders this year ag-
gregate s149, 900, 900, a reduction of IS
per cent from 1893, and assets of 49,
100000, a falling off of 20 per cent
Special returns to Bradstreets show
a net decrease within the year of about
J, 900 individuals, firms and corporations
established in business throughout the
country, but owing to decrease in num-
Der of failures, the commercial death
rate is only about 1.21 in every 100 en-
gagged in businSs in the four years pre-
ceding 1893. 1t is also shown that rs
banks are reported suspended this year
compared with 59S the year before. ow-
ing SIS. 1872 900 as contrasted with $780,
000, 900 the year before. Failures for the
week have been $50 in the United States
against Isl last year and Al in Canada
against Al last year.