Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-11-17
TRADE SITUATION.
Business More Encouraging by Mer-
chants and Manufacturers.
Better Feeling in the Reports from Business
Centers OF the Country.

New York, Nov. 16-Bradstreets, tomor-
row, will say that perhaps the most con-
spcuous and favorable feature of the gen
eral trade situation is found in the numer-
Gus reports from merchants and manufac-
turers throughout the country of a disposi-
tion to regard the business outlook lore
cncouragingly and with increased conf
dence in the early Improvement Of trade.
Even in many portions Of the South and
Southwest, advices from the interior are
that country merchants are doing an in
creased volume of business, based on favor
able weather and large crops. This is more
striking in view of the continued reports
of the unfavorable effect on the trade in
the South of the low price of cotton. From
Georgia it is learned that the fertilizer
manufacturers have arranged to curtal
the output next season, in some instances
as much as 40 per cent.
In Eastern centcrs, manufacturers Of
glass leather lumber, cottons, woolens,
tobacco and agricultural implements, as
well as jobbers in general dry goods, hard
ware groceries, heavy clothing and shoes,
in numerous instances report an increased
volume of business, the indications of this
tendency being corroboratcd by bank clear
ings at rs cities amounting to 81, ,0l9, 600
900, a gain Of rs per cent. compared with
the week before ES per cent. heavier than
the like week last year, and % per cent
less than the second week of November,
1892. This is the first week in which the
volume of clcarings cqualled or exceeded
$1,000, 900, 600 since early in January last.
The heavy gain in the shipment of shoes
from the New England manufacturing
centres continued to this week, with a
total of 1l6, 600 cases, compared with 60,
600 cases. last year The favorable change
in the movement of price last week, con
tnues with higher quotations for butter,
eggs, hides, wheat 1G cents higher, sugar
3-i6 cents, corn 2 cents oats 3-S cents,
lard Is cents, pork % cents and coffee 3S
cents. Cotton remains unchanged, and
leather, some grades of iron; print cloths
wool and lumber at Eastern markets are
all iirmer.
More noticeable declines in quotations
are in the shaded price for besscmcr and
pig iron and for live cattle and hogs at
Western markets, where receipts of low
grades have been free The leaders in the
wool trade say prices for that commodity
have reached the lowest figure and an
increased demand since election points to
an advance, though as yet the domestic
flccces feel the competition Of Australian.
The improvement in the demand for the
distribution OF dry goods is sufficient to
stimulate the discussion of higher prices
Philadelphia, Pittsburg and Buffalo re
port moderate improvement in some com
mercial and manufacturing lines Boston
says that trade is quiet except for shoes
and dry goods and the outlook is for
gains. Baltimore announces dull trade,
with a small volume of orders and holiday
and fancy goods in best demand.
Aside from the extension of the feel
ing of confidence in the early improve
1nent in the general demand, advices from
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Louisville, Omaha,
Des Moincs st. Paul, Minneapolis and
S'an Francisco indicate no change within
week
There are gains in the volume Of goods
distributed at Detroit, Chicago, Kansas
City and Duluth notwithstanding the un-
faorable weather, cut lumber prices AMI
heavy receipts OF live cattle. At 1t. Louis,
Milwaukee ANA Portland there has been
an increase in the volume Of trade.
Among the Southern cities, New Orleans
reports relatively the greatest gain in the
volume of business, notably groceries,
shoes and dry goods Improvement is
noted at Memphis and also good volume
mt jacksonville The least favorable situa-
tion is announced by Galveston, with col
lections quite unsatisfactory and some in
terror merchants asking for extensions.
Chattanooga reports trade duh and collcc
tions slower, due to cotton being withheld
from the market 4 fair movement of
merchandise is reported at Atlanta and
Savannah, but at Augusta jobbing is dull.
Business in most lines is reported very
quiet from Birmingham and Charleston,
and, except from holiday goods, at Nash
vile.
Exports of wheat from the United States
and Canada, both coasts, show sharp
spurt following the declining movement of
u week ago, due largely to the heavy
clearances from Portland, Oregon, late
last week. The grand total, flour
included as wheat, amounts TO .,
900, 900 bushels, compared to with 2, $50,
600 in the week before, and 2,6i5,e00 in
the week year ago.
Returns TO Bradstrects of the gross and
net earnings of 95 railroad companies in
September, and 1855 companies for the nine
months ending Sept. 81, show in compari
son with the results of the same periods
OF 1898, losses in September of f. 4 per cent.
III prtSS anu l-.o ipcF Ctlll III VIC licO
ins. and for the nine months decrease in
the gross of 13. 1 per cent and net IL per
cent.
The number number OF business failures
in the United States runs heavier this
week, the South reporting more, but with
by far the greater proportion of failing
traders being those with only $4,000 or less
capital. Total number failing, 2S0;against
24l last week, and $40 year ago. ,,f.+.-g