The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-09-29
pUN'S COMMERCIAL REVIEW.

Than Last Year, but Twenty-Five Per
Cent. Below a Full Volume for the Sea-
son of the Year.
NEW YORK, Sept. or. G. Dun &
Co. S weekly review of trade issued to-
day says:
Plenty of material for encourage
ment, and also for Encouragement, can
be found by those who seek that and
nothing else. But business men who
want to see the situation exactly as
it is find accounts SO far conflicting
that it is difficult to strike a
balance. In those departments of in
dustry and trade in which the deferred
business and the demand for %replenish-
ment of stocks have not been exhaust
ed, there is improve ment, and in some
the business is not only larger than
last year, but larger than two years
ago. In others the exhaustion of tenn
porary demand has brought disap-
pointment, because it was smaller than
was expected, and because the remain
ing demand appears uncomfortably
light. In the aggregate, business is
about a tenth larger than last year,
but still falls about 25 per cent below
a full volume for the season.
The iron business, after its great in
crease of output last month, shows dis
appointing weakness at all eastern and
central markets, with consumption not
large enough to keep fairly employed
the mills in operation. Bessemer pig
is lower, at SLIPS at Pittsburgh, and
the business in most manufactured
products there and at Philadelphia is
generally done at some concessions,
though for structural work and in
sheets the demand is excellent. Wire
rods and nails and barbed wire are
weaker, and steel billets and bars a
shade lower. In the minor metals
speculation has advanced both tin and
copper a little, but without signs Of
increasing consumption.
In textile fabrics there has been a
distinct decrease in trade, as initial
stocks for the next season have been
ordered and dealers are now waiting
for the retail trade to give encourage
ment for further purchases. The lull
in trade may be only temporary, but
is felt the more as it follows the crowd
ing orders for several months into a
few weeks. The strikes at Fall River
and New Bedford have not ceased, and
about a dozen additional cotton mills
have gone into operation elsewhere,
several with reduced wages, but the
orders for the present are narrow and
much smaller than usual, although
recent advances in price are main
tanned. A large auction sale Of silks
has resulted in satisfactory prices.
The demand for wooden dress goods is
better, and will occupy some mills I'M
til the end of September, and the half
dozen concerns making clay diagonals
are probably oversold, but in most
lines the wooden business is restricted,
and after what remained of several
months demand was crowded into a
few weeks, the traffic is disappointing.
London prices OF wool, beginning about
6 per cent. higher than at the last sale,
were not quite up to previous market
and sales of wool at the
three eastern markets have been for
the week larger than of late-6.O i1. $50
pounds, against 4, 216, 225 last year, and
8 ,202, 100 in 1892. In three weeks the
sales have been IA, 296, $50, against
Q, $685. 25 last year, and 24,631, 900 in
1892.
Breadstuffs were weaker, possibly
because the government official report
WANTS a far ~ DraIi-r l,.f -oo "a.
to occasion a reaction in opinion. While
estimates of corn are commonly
accepted, the price fell 81 cents, and
are reasoning that if the official
estimate of wheat has been found 1OO,- |
900, 900 bushels out of the way, it's corn
estimate may be 400, O0O. 900 or 500, OOO,- |
900 bushels. While corn declined. neither |
pork nor lard yielded in price here, |
though lower at Chicago. Wheat re-
ceipts were 5,4s1,41s bushels, against
5,9s2, O26 last year, and Atlantic ex-
ports only 902, $50, against 1888, 3o4
last year, and the price fell 1 cent.
Railroad earnings for the nrst week
in September were GA per cent. smaller |
than last year, and for the month, as
far as reported, 40 per cent. less than
in 1898, and Isl per cent. less than in
1892. Compared with last year the
loss is in passenger earnings, which
were then phenominally large, and in
freight earnings some increase ap-
pears. Chicago east-bound tonnage
is larger than of late, but for
the two weeks of September was
95, I'll tons, against 1O4, 729l last year, and
119, POI in 1892. West-bound tonnage
is fairly up to the average, though in
goods products, still restricted. The
stock market broke badly on trust !
although il recovered later, the
market closing 1.s9 per share lower,
while railroad stocks have steadily re-
sisted the downward influence and are
only 81 cents per share lower.
Foreign trade does not answer ex-
exports from New York for
the month thus far being 50, 700, 900 or
% per cent less than last year, while
imports from this port were 81, 200, 900,
or IS per cent. larger. The treasury
has taken in from customs in three
weeks about 81, 700, 900. against IS, 9OO,-
BOO last year, but only SIS, Zoo, 900 from
internal taxes, against IS, 100, 900 last
year. Its gold balance has been some
what helped by the internal demand
small notes. The money markets