The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-12-29
BRADSTREET'S REPORT.
A General Summing Up Of the Years
Business.
STOCKS OF MERCHANDISE ON
HAND REPORTED VERY Low.

1s9B-Number of Merchants and Cor
the Year--The Commercial Death
| Rate.
| New York. December 49, -Bradstreets to-
| morrow will say: General trade presents
| The usual holiday characteristics. The
majority of wholesale dealers and manu-
facturers are beginning or have finished
taking account of stock or arranging settle-
ments for the new year. The main activity
| has been for Christmas specialities in retail
| lines. The practical conclusion of holiday
| trade has brought about a moderate re-
| action. This emphasizes the dullness noted
| in the preceding weeks. Jobbers claim the
outlook for trade during the late winter
and early spring is for very conservative
| buying. In some lines. notably heavy tex
tiles, the recent cold weather has stimu-
lated sales, and reports from retailers, West
| and South, indicate stocks are low almost
beyond precedent. This is taken as indioa-
tive of the better merchandise trade in the
near future than several years past.
Travelling salesmen with few exceptions.
are off the road, and merchants generally
incline to the view that 1895 promises favor
able business. although, as Indicated, the
opinion is divided as to whether renewed
| activity will mark the early months of the
coming year or not. Boston reports 37,600,-
600 pounds of wool in stock in that city as
compared with 43.500.000 year ago, the de-
crease being exclusively in domestic varie-
ties.
Industries are shut down In many in
stances to make repairs or take stock and,
ley 1Axr fnr in.
dustrial staples the wage movement tends
downward.
QUOTATIONS FOR STAPLE MERCHAN-
Disc
show more firmness, and sugar. cotton,
wheat, corn. steel, naval stores. tobacco.
tin and copper are practically unchanged
in price. Oats. among the cereals, records
a fractional advance. and print cloths and
other staple cottons are lower. In conforml-
ty with the results of the recent auctions.
Coffee is depressed and there are rumors OF
contracts for iron and steel at shade un-
der the. last weeks quotations. although un-
confirmed.
. In New England and the Middle States
cities, the general trade is quiet or dull ex-
cept at Pittsburg. where fair volume is
reported in special lines. such as groceries
and produce. No gain Is reported IL the
condition or prospects of the manufacturing
industries there. and collections are COM
planned of. The most active demand at
PHILADELPHIA is for morocco and canned
goods. Baltimore reports that they have
sold more goods within year, though for
less money, than either in 1898 or 1892. The
holiday demand is lalge at New England
points, notably Providence owing to sales
of low priced goods. Boston prospects for
the ensuing year are unfavorable.
Southern cities uniformly report very
quiet trade in joDbing lines. Charleston,
Savannah and Augusta report collections
as slow. Nashville merchants regards the
prospects for the spring business as reason
ably good and collections are fair. At
Duluth, the volume of business is larger
than in 1898. and in the tributary lum-
ber distrit Is expected to be the largest in
its history. While general trade is slow at
Portland, Oregon, it is increasing in volume.
San francisco merchants anticipate an
Improvement in business in the coming
year.
WHEAT STRENGTHENING.
Reduced stocks along the available sup
plies of wheat, Notwithstanding the reports
in the visible statement of net increase,
lend to strengthen wheat. .sThe total of that
cereal flour included as wheat sent abroad
this week from both coasts of the United
States is l.S14.000 bushels: compared with
g. 554 600 bushels in the previous week, and
2,O3, 900 bushels that week year ago. Mer-
camille failures in the United States for
this calendar year December 27, 1898 to De-
cember =, lS9Q aggregate 12.72l or Is per
cent less than the panic year of 1898, when
total Il, $50 was 81 per cent heavier than in
1892. The libilities of failing traders this
wear aggregate $l49 100000. reduction of
per cent from 1898. assets $79, 900. a fall
ing off Of 70 per cent. Special returns 10
Bradstreets show a net decrease within the
YEAR of about 5000 individuals. firms and
corporations established in business
throughout the country owing to increase
in the number of failures. The commercial
death rate is only about l.2l in every 100 en-
gagged in business, compared with 1.50 in
every 100 during 1898, and contr asted with
an average of about ILL failures annually
among every 100 in business in four years
prec eding 1898. 1t is shown that 27S banks
are exported suspended this year. compared
with sos year before owing $l5, ,4S2, 900, as
oontrasted withsSl70. .0O0,0O0 the year before.
The number of failures In the Eastern
States in 1S94.was 1854, with liabilities of
Sls. .79O. .O1s and assets of $7,S26.3Sl, against
239 failure in 1898, with liabilities of $45,-
465 ITO assets $l3, ,867 ,s74, an increase in six
states and two territories in the number of
failures for 1894, compared with 1S9 In New
England. Rhode Island reports 1916 business
failure, compared with 1852 the year before,
vet general improvement in commercials
conditions there is shown in a moderate in