The Portland daily press., 1895-08-10
GENERAL DULLNESS.
Bradstreets Report Shows a Dearth
Of Business.
IRON AND STEEL THE ONLY LINES
ADVANCING PRICES.

Fruits on the Pacific Slope Are Ripening
Rapidly and Crops Will be Light-lIid-
summer Dizziness Generally Reported.
New York, August 9. 9.-Bradstreets to-
morrow will say: The features of bust
ness the past week are the continuance of
the remarkable strength of the demand
for, and increase in production and'advance
in-prices of steel and iron, practically all
classes of producing plants having been
put into service, and not few cripples.
No rebound since the depression of 1894,
has been stronger or more surprising
than that in iron aud steel. OF the same
nature is the evidence of improved busi-
ness conditions shown by the activity in
almost all manufacturing lines, more
particularly those in which iron and steel
are employed. The demands for railway
cars has heavily increased, as have re-
quests for steel rails, and in consequence
for Bessemer pig iron In cotton goods,
the present prices which have an upward
tendency, do not represent the full ad-
vance in quotations of raw material.
While midsummer dullness character
ICES all but few departments of industry
and commerce. it is plain that distribu-
tlon is far in excess of the total of a year
ago, and that the outlook is quite favor
able. Prices have shown no great change
this week. Cotton, leather and prints be-
ing noteworthy for advances, and copper
for its strength after sudden upward rush
in prices.
At the larger eastern centres the only
noteworthy change is in the increased
confidence in the large volume of business
In the fall. AS yet no material progress
has been made in that direction, although
an improvement in sales of commercial
travellers is reported from most cities
covered. There has been moderate
changes in general trade in southern
states, the most striking being at Dallas
and in general throughout Texas. The
cropssof cotton and corn there are large
and country merchants are buying more
freely Building is quite active in Texas,
and has had usual effect on .slumber and
building materials trades. AT Memphis
there has been light gain in the
volume of merchandise distributed, and
at Nashville business is quite active,
with improvement in collections, owing
to the marketing of wheat. Jacksonville
and Savannah merchants announce
moderate gain, and at most other cities
the only usual midsummer trade is re-
ported, though with prospects for active
fall business. The continued delay of the
payment of the sugar bounties continues
to act as drag on the general trade in
the sugar districts of Louisiana. The
arrivals of new rice at New Orleans are
small, and prices are unsatisfactory. With
free movements of new crop cotton,
southern wholesale merchants are conf
dent general trade will promptly respond
The centre of commercial activity at the
West follows a line drawn from st. Louis
through Chicago, ST. Paul, Mimi eapoils,
with improving demand shown along the
Ohio river valley. The reports of large
crops OF Indian corn and spring wheat
continue a feature, although corn will
not be beyond danger for more than
month The interior merchants atsmany
points are beginning to discount the out
look by purchasing more freely for fall
delivery, and wholesalers at Chicago and
st. Louis report receipt of good orders
for dress goods, hats,s caps, clothing,
shoes to large degreeresult of per sonal
selection by interior merchants. General
trade on the Pacific cast has improved
within a month. One of the features of
recent importance to the foreign trade of
Seattle and Tacoma is the development of
our interchange ofss commodities with
Oriental, Mexican Central and South
effect upon cities named.
San Francisco authorities wire that the
wheat crop in California is admittedly
below normal, and fruits in that state
are ripening faster almost than the can
neries can handle them.
Exports of wheat, -four included as
wheat, from both coasts of the United
States and from Montreal is 1850, ono
bushels this week, against 3, AT, 600 in the
week a year ago. August l, American
European and afioat for Europe the stocks
Of wheat were smaller than since 1892 at
like date, and %, 900, 600 bushels less
than a year ago and 33, 900, 600 less than
two years ago.
bullish feature of the exhibit is
found in the unprecedented decrease of
more than 1900, 900 bushels, in the
world stocks of wheat during July of
this year. In July 1889. the worlds stocks
of available wheat increased 5000, 600
bushels, about 2, 500, 900 bushels in July,
1891, and in 1890 the falling off was only
about 300, 600 bushels. In 1899 about roo
600; in 1893 the shrinkage in the worlds
wheat in July, 1900, 900 bushels In July
year ago 4, 100, 900. An English cores
pondent writes the wheat area in the
United Kingdom is ''the smallest of the
century and probably the maximum
yleld Will not be more than 40, COO, 600
bushels. A very bullish influence in
wheat market is found in the continued
b eavy weekly decrease of available stocks
through July and to the present time in
August, whereas in preceding years. in
creases in available supplies generally be-
gun early in July or at close of that
mo nth.
Failures numbered 2O9 throughout the
United States this week, against 1877 in
the week a year ago.
Law Unto Himself.