The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-08-18
0NN'S COMMERCIAL REVIEW.
The Continued Uncertainty About Tariff
Legislation UnpIeasantly Affects Busi-
ness, Making Present Indications and
Conditions OF Comparatively Little Value
The Exhaustion of Stocks Creates Some
Business Activity.

udE- says:
With changes every hour in the
prospects about the tariff. and a de
cisiOn expected every day. business ha:
unpleasantly resembling gambling
Orders and purchases have been largely
based upon individual opinions regard
ing the legislative outcome. and a vast
amount of business has been deferred
because the decision was yet in the
future. The accumulatIng demand
which has stimulated trading and
manufacturing within the past week
Or two represents, to a great eX-
tent, needs which have been postponed
waiting for a settlement, but a be
postponed no longer. Thus, both the
rush of deferred business in many lines
and the scantineSS of new orders
reaching into the future reflect an I'M
natural state of things which cannot
be expected to continue. and. while
the volume Of business is larger than
the existing condition of uncertainty
warrants. it is. in a sense. but a shadow
of the larger business which should
come with Il removal of the prevailing
uncertainty.
In such circumstances the present in
dications and conditions are Of com
paratively little value. but the start
ling advance in corn diSclOSes a gen.
eral belief that the injury to this most
important crop has been 50 great As to
affect materially the traffic of rail
roads. the demand for manufactured
products and the cost of meats for the
coming year.
Unless the markets deceive and are
entirely deceived. the country has to
face a real calamity in the loss of
something like 300, 900. 900 bushels of
corn. which consumers have to share
through the advance Of II cents in two
weeks. and 9 centS since Friday of last
week. Neither official or unofficial
statements as yet preclude the hope
that the loss may prove less serious.
But at current price, 100. 900. 900 bush
els would cost Us much As 1000, 900. 900
would have cost Il fortnight ago.
Wheat has risen 81 cents in the
fortnight and - cents during the
week, although western receipts have
been 5,223. 12S bushels, against 3. 1872 9i
last year. Atlantic exports are a little
stronger. As is natural. Cotton has
twice risen and again declined Il six
teenth. with increasing prospects of a
very large yield. closing without
change for the week.
Gold exports have practically ceased.
for a time, with the settlements for
most of the 900, 900, 900 pounds of
imported within the past two months.
and treasury officials are more hopeful,
counting upon larger receipts on ac-
count of whisky.
Low as the gold reserve is. there ap.
pears a slight gain. and with cessation
of gold exports. the improvement
should be considerable during the fall.
Whether under old or new duties, i'm
ally be large for some time after Il tie
cision on the tariff question.
There has appeared of late some de-
mand for gold from many interior
banks. not in large amounts. hut in the
aggregate enough to indicate some ncr-
Of feeling. The volume Of
commercial loans is increasing. though
moderately, but in manufacturing
paper less increase appears than
have been expected.
The business in boots and shoes Is
and healthy: though conSpicu-
ously confined to medium and low
articles. such as - cent shoes
for men and - to 90 cents for womun's
wear; but shipments from Boston have
been, in two weeks, 1868 cases,
against 122. $40 last year.
People cannot no naked. even if con-
gress is slow. Demands for textile
goods clearly represent exhaustion of
stocks and continuing needs for con
sumption in the main, though there
has sprung up quite a speculative bust
ness on the possible failure of tariff
Lower prices in some cotton goods
lave encouraged larger operations. and
the proposed reduction of wages at
Fall River is now announced. as vet
clear indication whether it is
to be followed by Il strike. WOolcns
for winter go as before. and the OPEN
ing of spring goods discloses a decline
of about 12l2 cents in the average from
last years prices, but the goods are
urged by makers nor hungrily
by buyers.
The sales of wool would have been
according to reports from the
different markets. if there had been
sufficient stocks available. but they
amounted to 7.623.4OO pounds at the
three eastern markets. against 1920. 700
two years ago. Country hold
,rs of wool do not 1t present appear to
be anxious to let somebody else Specu-
ate on its price. and are said to be
back supplies quite generally.
although receipts at Chicago we're
/. 06O,0 51 pounds for the week. against
TT. 099 for the same week last year.
Failures for the five weeks ending
/. showed liabilities of S1l,1i4.
.I3. of which $3.50. 594 were of manu-.
featuring. and 81, 2ao,24- Of trading o :
cerns.
The failures during the past week
been 25l in the United States,
against 1914 last year. and ~ in Canada,
against p last yoar.
DROPPED TO DEATH.