Birmingham age-herald., 1894-08-04
Is Notic;d in Nearly Every Line
 of Business.
SAY DUN AND BRADSYREET
Cotton Goods Have Reached the Lowest Price-Southern
 Trade Varying.

NEW YORK, Aug. 3.-R. q. Dun & Co. 8 weekly review Of trade tomorrow will say: An important change in the state of business is at hand. Congress will act on the tariff question one way or the other in all probability within a week. If it passes the pending bill, or if it fails, in either case, the definite basis for future business will enable many to act who are now waiting. Whether the one course or the other would stimulate the increase, it is certain that either would give relief from the present paralyzing un' certainties and cause some increase in busi- ness at least for time. So much business has been deferred during the past year, and merchandise stocks have been so reduced, that the mere approach of decision, with out certainty what it is to be, has this week encouraged large preparations for increased business.
 In spite of outgoing gold and sinking treasury reserves, small railroad earnings, some injury to crops and increased trouble in the coke regions, the tone and the out look are more hopeful. The movement of bleacher cotton has been checked by the restoration of prices, as it was stimulated by the temporary reduction to the lowest point on record, and the print cloth manu- lecturers at Fall River are seriously con-
 
 there and at Providence being 1 1,1S5, 1000 pieces, while the lowest price ever known, 29-16 cents for 64s, has been made at Prov idence. As strike would help the price of the large stock on hand 1t is not i'm probable.
 R covery in iron manufacture is hindered by greater trouble in the coke region, where many of the new colored hands have quit and gone back south and the strikers have decided to continue the struggle. Some what better business appears at Philadel- phia, but the market here is dull. There is no improvement in the quantity of man. ufactured forms required at Pittsburg or the west, and in general the demand for finished products is disappointing. Prices remain nearly unchanged, though with numerous small contracts for structural work. Beams are a shade stronger, while Bessemer iron, bar iron and wire nails are shade weaker.
 The outgo of gold is in part to settle for unusually heavy imports in sugar and in part to pay large railroad and other loans made year ago in time of especial stress. Ihe main fact IS that exports of domestic pSoducts 1n July were nearly 20 per cent leSs than last year, while the imports, though much dimin shed for the time by takt uncertainties, are but per cent less than last year. There is every reason to expect heavier imports soon, while the markets do not give promise of a strong foreign demand for the great exportable staples.
 Money is now coming into New York banks, though in small amounts, and the customary heavy demand from the west has not appeared, though the wheat movement is heavy. Commercial loaps are decidedly increasing, though not enough asyet to terminate the extraordinary ease of the money market.
 Commercial liabilities thus far reported in failures during July amount to $9 9,O16,- 77S, of which "A ,500. .220 were of manufac- turing and "A ,231 ,470 of trading concerns, and the decrease for the month, though great in comparison with last year, is hardly as much as has been expected. The failures this week in the United States have been 219, against 436 last year; and A in Canada, against 34 last year.