The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-12-29
GOOD BUSINESS OUTLOOK.
IN EfCELLEST TRADE EFFECTED
 N ALL LINES NEXT YEAR.


 Cold Weather Has stimulated sales in
 Heavy rsxtiies-Better Merchandise
 Trade in the Future Than In Years Past.
 New York. Dec. 2s.-Bradstreets to- morrow will say: General trade pres sents the usual holiday characteristic. A majority of wholesale dealers and manufacturers are blginning or havo finished taking account of stock or ar- ranging settlements for the new year. Main activity has been for Christmas specialties In retail lines. The practical conclusion of holiday trade has brought about Il moderate reaction, and this emphasizes the dullness noted in pres ceding weeks.
 Jobbers claim the autlook for tradS during the late winter and early spring Is for very conservative buying. But in some lines, notably heavy textiles. recent cold weather has stimulated sales, and reports from dealers west and south indicate that stocks are low. almost beyond precedent. This is taken as indicative of better merchandise trade In the near future than for sev- eral years past. Travelling salesmen. with few exceptions. are off the road Merchants generally incline to the view that 1895 promises a favorable business, though, as indicated. opinion is divided as to whether renewed activity will mark the early months of the coming year or not.
 Industries are shut down in many in- stances to make repairs or take stock, and, owing to extremely low prices for industrial staples, the wages movement tends downward. Quotations for staple merchandise show more firmness, with sugar, cotton, wheat, corn, steel, naval stores, tobacco. tin and copper practi- cally unchanged in prices. Holiday trade was good in New England, nota- ply at Providence. At Boston Prospects for the ensuing year are favorable. At Omaha the volume of trade has not exceeded that of 1893, and at Milwaukee collections are slower. Minneapolis and Cincinnati announce merely that trade is quiet or dull. At Duluth the volume of business Is larger than in 1893. San Francisco merchants anticipate an im- provement is business in the coming year Reduced stocks of American available supplies of wheat, notwith- standing. reports sn the visible. state- ment of a net increase, tend to strength en them somewhat. The total of that cereal (four included) sent abroad this week from both coasts of the United States Is 1,814.000 bushels, compared with 3,554,OOo bushels in the previous week and 2,036, ,0OO bushels in the week a year ago.
 Mercantile failures in the United States for the calendar year December 27, 1893 to December 26, 1S9D aggregate 12,721, or IS per cent. less than in the panic year of 1893. Then the total was 15,56O. Liabilities of failing traders thfa year aggregate S149, 900, reduction of 63 per cent. from 1893, and assets $79,- OO,OOO, falling off of 70 per cent. Spec- ial returns to Bradstreets show net decrease within the year of about S,000 individuals, firms and corporations es. abolished in business throughout thS country, but owing to the decrease in the number of failures the commercial death rate is only about 1.21 in every 100 engaged in business compared with an average of Ill failures annually among every 100 in business in the four years preceding February, 1893.
 The number of failures in the eastern states in 1894 was 1,7S4, with liabilities of $1S,790,01S, and assets of $7,S263S1, against 2,139 failures in 1893 with liabili- ties of $45, ,485, ,l1O and assets of $23,s67,- O0O
 There are increases in six states and two territories in the number of failures in 1894 compared with 1893. In New England, Rhode Island reports 165 bus- mess failures, compared with 162 tho year before
 The other states showing decreases are California, West Virginia, Mississ- ippi Louisiana and Arkansas. The ter- ritories in which the number of failures increased are Alaska and Oklahoma, Toronto jobbers say trade is very quiet, and travellers from that city are not hurrying their departure. At Montreal preparations are being made in several lines to send out travellers. At Quebec shoe manufacturers report trade brisk. At Halifax the volume of business is moderate, and wholesale trade is dull. Collections throughout Nova Scotia ara slow.