Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-06-08
PROSPERITY RETURNING.
General Improvement All Along the Line Re
ported by Bradstreets.

spirit which seemed to dominate DOM
commercial and financial circles until
within q week or 10 days past is still less
conspicuous in all lines. The demand
for staple goods in number of instances
is smaller, notably at Boston, Pittsburg
Chicago and Kansas City, particularly i'll
dry goods the demand for which at first
and second hands has declined, as is Gus
tomary at this period. While business
throughout the country may be chalac-
terized as quieter, the tone of the staple
markets continues strong. and the conf
denoe in a good demand when the fall
season opens. next month, remains un-
abated.
The feature of the week, as heretofore,
is the continued long list of advances in
prices, notably for iron and steel. and the
upward movement of bank clearings.
Higher prices are recorded for some cotton
goods, shoes, hides, leather. paper, pig
iron, steel, galvanized iron, black sheets,
canned goods. hogs, wheat, corn. oats, and
some grades of wheat flour. The prices
for live cattle, wool, coal and lumber are
reported as unchanged and firm, silver
cotton, petroleum and lard alone being
noteworthy as showing lower prices than
last week.
The bank clearings show total for the
past six business days of 81, l31 900, 600,
the largest weeks total in two years, and
an increase over the week, year ago. of
25 per cent, but as compared with two
years ago,a a decline of per cent, and with
three years ago, per cent. Contrasted
with the first week of June, 1891, this
week shows gain of IL per cent. May
!, o,,Iv ~ ~, ho To- ~
the year, but this year, owing to the re-
vival of trade the total clearings are the
largest for any month since May, 1898.
The total clearings of 81 cities aggregate
81, S39, IS, 327, being an increase of IA per
cent. over April of this year, 25 per cent.
over May of last year, and decrease of
only II per cent from May two years ago.
The increased percentages In gain over
last year is noteworthy in the East, New
York the West, Northwest and Southwest.
Less favorable reports come from the
Southern and Pacific coast cities. About
one-quarter of the cities show decreases
compared with May 1894, mostly in the
drought region of the West Pacific coast,
and in less degree at the South. For
the five months the clearings are 12. 5 per
cent. ahead of last year and 81 per cent
behind 1898, which marked the high tide
in bank clearings
At the East dry goods jobbers report
their stocks being cleared out. Advances
in cotton prices are not likely to be tested
for month yet. Manufacturing jewellers
and milliners are more active. At the
West, general trade, except in few lines,
is quiet and unchanged. Rains have gener-
ally helped the crop outlook in central
Ohio, north Missouri and Mississippi
valleys with consequent Improvement
of outlook at St. Paul, Duluth, Mime
apolis ST. Louis, Des Moines and Omaha
The Chicago soft steel mills have orders
to keep them busy for three months.
The Southern cities in most instances
report trade and collections as only fair,
with no special change from last week
A slight gain in demand is reported from
Atlanta and Jacksonville, where collec-
tions are better. The improved condition
of business reported at New Orleans, a
week ago, continues.
On the Pacific coast all the larger cities,
except San Francisco. report fair and i'm
proving trade. The salmon catch is re-
ported good from Portland, and tho wool
trade Is active. Seattle announces a bet
ter demand for staples and shipment of
500 900 worth of merchandise to the Yu-
kon river Tacoma reports heavy ship
ment of wheat flour, 1000 bales (Mobile)
cotton to the Orient, and at San Francisco
wheat just sold is being loaded for export
as rapidly os possible to make room for
the new crop. It is a singular fact that
San Francisco has shipped a large quantity
OF wheat flour to New Zealand, this week. |
The newest thing in wheat statistics is
a decrease of over 1900. 900 bushels in
the available stocks in the United States
and Canada during May, with an increase
of over 100000 bushels In and afloat in
Europe. Last year the stocks were de- !
d ucted 10000, 900 bushels in May. and |
Europe's available supplies practically stood |
still. The exports of wheat (flour in
cluded as wheat) from both coasts of the
United States and Montreal were 2, 99l,
900 bushels, this week, against 2,742, 900
In the week year ago. and 3,61O, 900 two
years ago. Interior stocks of Russian
wheat fell away 2 900, 90 bushels during
May. Heavier shipments of wheat to
Europe, with the increasing available
stock there, mark the latters confidence
In the relative permanence of a higher
range of prices for wheat.
The failures in the United States, this
week, were 236, against 207 year ago.
NJ. Andre of Stockholm, will shortly
go to Paris to oversee the making of tho
lIann in which ha will otfampt r. .., |