Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1894-12-26
BUSINESS OUTLOOK.
Trade Hampered by Uncertain
Financial Legislation.
Mild Weather Causes Poor Holiday Bust
ness at Most Points-A Glance at
the Situation in Many
Lines of Trade.
NEW York, Dec, OR. G. Dun &

NEW YORK, Dec. 22.-R. G. Dun *
Co.'S Weekly Review of Trade says:
but for the large exports of gold and I'M
certainty about financial legislation, the 1nd1-
cations would be more encouraging. Some IN
crease is seen in orders given to manufactur-
ing works. though until the year ends the force
actually at work naturally dtminiShes The
holiday trade has been rather poor at most
points, partly owing to mild weather. There
is distinctly more confidence shown about the
future demand for industrial products, though
prices are not better.
Exports Increase.
Domestic exports increased little, though
exportable staples are not better in price. In
November the excess of merchandise exports
over imports was S29,57SS9l, besides $293l, 03l
silver, and December returns indicate
as large an excess For this reason
the exports Of $5,SSs,GT in gold since
last Friday and the Withdrawals of about
three times as much gold from the treasury,
are the more noticed Money continues to &C
cumulate here, and there is no enlargement in
the legitimate demand tor commercial loans,
though some offerings of paper, apparently to
prepare for yearly settlements, have excited
remark.
Wheat, Corn and Cotton.
Prices of agricultural products do not i'm
prove Wheat is unchanged for the week.
Corn fell cents for the week. Cotton has de-
clined a sixteenth, to 500 cents, and receipts
from plantations continue larger for December
than in 1891, when the crop was over 100000
bales The theory that producers will not
market at current prices does not fit the facts.
Large orders for manufactured products
have appeared and yet, except in boots and
shoes, the general tendency of prices is down
ward.
Gold Withdrawals.
The Withdrawals of gold from the treasury
have been over S2l, 100000 since December 8,
II, TO oP
bank receipts, which were reduced by the pur-
chase of bonds. Yet it is plain that the desire
of foreigners to get gold instead Of stocks, and
of Americans to get gold instead Of notes, rap
idly takes from the treasury whatever was
gained by selling bonds.
The Failure Record.
Failures have been somewhat more import
ant, the reported liabilities for the second
week of December amounting to 607 and
for two weeks of December the aggregate has
been $6,480 40l, OF which manufacturing Habili-
ties were az, ia and the trading liabilities
S4Ul520. But last year the liabilities in failures
of the same two weeks were 81 ,679 1896, Of
which no less than S. l74,494 were OF manufac-
turing and only S., 30I.7S4 of trading concerns
The failures for the past week have been $40
in the United States against 344 last year, and
80 in Canada, against 81 last year.
AS It Appears to Bradstreet.
Bradstreet's says:
The volume of general trade continues
small, as expected from evidences of shrink
age within the month. Unusually mild, I'M
SeaSonable weather continues to check diStri-
button Of coal, heavy clothing, shoes and rub
Der goods northwest south and throughout
the central western and eastern states, al
though at larger cities the favorable reports as
to holiday goods and specialties at retail are
for the great part the outcome OF bright, mild
weather.
''Jobbers and other wholesalers as rule re-
port commercial travellers of the road and
that little is doing except to take account of
stock The outlook for trade after the holi-
days is fair, although larger Chicago dealers
report stocks hand larger than expected,
except amyng jewellers, who have unexpected
~ enjoyed heavy trade.
From a dozen Of the more important west
ern and Northwestern trade centers dlstribu-
ton Of staples is reported quiet or moderate
in volume except from Cincinnati, where there
is slight gain. Collections are only
fair at Detroit, Omaha and Kansas
City, but at Chicago and st. Louis
they are more prompt. Demand for
FUNDS at Chicago, as at Buffalo, has made the
market frmer, packers being relatively best
borrowers. Dealers in furs and jobberS in
most staples at Detroit, Minneapolis, St. Paul
and Milwaukee report that this, the mildest
December for many years, has greatly inter
fered with trade