Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1895-12-03
TRADE OUTLOOK.
The Situation Reviewed by Lead
ing Commercial Agencies.
Very Little Change Except in Shrink
age of Prices-Business Fall
ures for the Week.

New York, Nov. 30.-R. G. Dun & Co.,
IN their W eekly review of trode, say:
Business has not improved, though
there is very little change except in the
shrinkage of prices which period Of mac
tion naturally causes. Retail stocks are
still reported full in nearly all branches,
with delayed distribution In many on ac-
count of the unfavorable weather. The
movement of crops is only fair. both cotton
and wheat being largely kept back in the
hope of higher prices, and there Is prev
alent feeling that foreign imports will fall
off. Exports show a little gain for the
week, although the small outgo of-cotton
is s.lll threatening fact as respects for
November show gain of 81 per cent. In
earnings compared with last year, and a
loss of per cent compared with 1892.
Commercial Loans.
There is not much change in commercial
loans, although little more demand from
some manufacturing centers is reported
On the whole, the demand is nothing like
what 1t would be If general business were
In a normal condition. The speculative
markets have not helped, for while wheat
Is cent higher, with corn unchanged, cot
ton is shade higher, and held with much
stiffness in spite of all evidence of the
abundant supplies abroad and the sagging
are shade weaker, perhaps per cent. on
the whole, in spite of a small advance in
raw cotton. Another sharp fall in hides
at Chicago has not been followed by
leather, which has declined only for grain.
nor proportionately by boots and shoes.
The manufacturers are getting remark =.
ably little new business for the season, and
many look for no material change until
after January l. The wooden business
makes scarcely any gain.
business Failures.
THE failures for four weeks of Novem-
Der have been s., S19,979, of which 81, 497, 03c
were of manufacturing and $4,555,949 of
trading concerns. In the same weeks of 1894
the failures were sS,0SS.429, of which 81, 651, :
kSl were of manufacturing and s5.35l. ass of
trading concerns. The failures in the same
weeks of 1898 amounted to s17.s09,079. Dur.
Ing the past week failures have been 279 in
the United States, against 2S9 last year, and
a In Canada, against &c last year."
Bradstreet's Report.
Bradstreet's says:
1.-THE volume Of general trade shows a
falling off compared with the preceding
week, largely owing to the Intervention of
the Thanksgiving holiday, but in part to
the continued effect of mild weather east
and south, storms in the central west and
the usual dissemination OF buyers to add to
stocks during the closing month OF the
year. Navigation has practically closed on
the great lakes, the canals and at
Montreal. Western jobbers report activity
noticeable in clothing, wooden goods. rub
bers, shoes and holiday specialties, with
some increased demand for coal and light
hardware.
Remains Unchanged.
General trade remains unchanged at the
south, with mercantile collections in some
instances improving, the tendency of cot
ton to move slowly and the movement of
merchandise smaller than in October. On
the Pacific coast smaller volume of bust
ness is reported from San Francisco, with
shipments east Of wheat which strengthen
the local grain market.
The Iron Industry.
THE most striking Industrial feature is
the continued reaction in prices of iron and
steel. bessemer pig being off rs cents and
steel billets fractionally lower, with reac-
lions In prices for wire, sheets and other
forms. There is little likelihood of an in
creased demand or a reversal of the price
movement prior to the middle of January"