The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-07-06
BUSINESS IS IMPROVING
THE UPWARD TENDENCY OF PRICES SAYS BRADSTREETS IS STRIKING.

More Than Million Industrial Workers
 Have Received an Advance in Wages
 Averaging Ten Per Cent.-Cotton Goods
 Are Firm-No Improvement Reported
 From the south.
 New York, July 5.-Bradstreets to- morrow will say:
 Notwithstanding the week Is broken by a holiday, favorable trade condi- tions heretofore reported continue to exercise a pronounced influence, prom inently general advances In prices of staples and in wages of industrial em- ployes. The latest advices are that in all more than one million industrial workers have received am advance aver aging about 10 per cent. The upward tendency in prices Is still striking, be- cause of additional advances, those of lumber, tin-plate and print cloths being new. Print stuffs at Chicago are about 50 cents per 1000, and at Seattle lumber is to be advanced to-day. St. Louis re- ports ten cents per box higher and that American tin-plate factories are kept busy to meet the demand. Cotton goods
 
 cotton. Wool is quoted at another ad- vance for South American and Austral- ian varieties.
 Prices at London sales are up 10 to 15 points, which, having been more than discounted here, induces the trade to anticipate reaction unless London quo- tations advance further. Cotton also Is higher, as is leather, following which we have a repetition of the announces ment made each week for month that quotations for pig iron and steel billets have advanced. To thisrnust be added a similar statement in respect to bar iron. The anthracite coal trade re- mains in the unfavorable condition
 which has so long characterized it. Cattle and hogs remain practically nn-
 changed in price, as do sugar and cof- fee. Among the list of staples for
 which prices are lower are wheat flour,
 wheat, corn and oats, in all instances
 the outcome of reports of improved crop conditions. Pork and lard are lower, as are potatoes and butter.
 At the east the most active trade Is
 reported from Pittsburg, while the re-
 vival among the iron and steel indus
 tries has stimulated trade in almost all
 lines. At the west the most favorable
 condition Is from St. Louis and the in centive appears to be uniform reports of favorable crop prospects throughout the region tributary to that city. No
 material improvement Is reported from the south, rains continuing to be dam aging to agricultural interests and to check business in Texas, while at South Atlantic and Gulf state cities the quiet movement of staple goods and fair or unsatisfactory collections of the past month or two continue. But advices from nearly all cities reported appear to agree that wholesale dealers in near ly all lines are greatly encouraged as to the outlook for business during the autumn, believing that the demand will be greatly stimulated by the very gen. eral and as 1t Is now believed perma- nent improvement in prices. Total June bank clearings of sixty-one cities are | $4, ,3S1, ,785, ,081, a decrease of 9.4 per cent from May, but an increase over June a year ago of 22.5 per cent, which showed a decrease of 20 per cent. from June, 1893.
 Gains in the New England, middle and northwestern states are smaller in June than in May, but in the southern and far western states the increase Is larg- CT than in May pointing to business improvement In the latter sections. To- tai clearings at sixty-one cities for six months of 1895 aggregates $25, ,204, 56S, ,767, an increase over 1894 of 16.5 per cent. but a decrease from 1893 and 1892 of F per cent. Among 93 cities with totals for imporant months of 1894 and 1895 only F report decreased.
 European stoks of wheat in store and afloat are 70,760,000 bushels, a decrease of only 3000,00 and of 6,000.000 bushels respectively from one and two years ago. American, Canadian, European and Australian stocks of available wheat July 1, 1895, amount to 136,677, ,000 bushels against 154,319000 bushels one year ago, 157,20S, 900 two years ago and smaller quantities in previous years. Exports of wheat (f1our included as wheaD from both coasts of the United States and from Montreal amount to FOOT ,000 bushels this week, against ], ,S50, 900 in the week a year ago, and B. 667 000 in the first week of the year in | 1893.
 There are 197 failures reported throughout the United States this week compared with 164 in the first week of July 1894.
 General trade has slackened up lit- tie at Montreal, where new departure is being made to export butter in cold storage At Quebec City. there is a check to business also, but crop pros poets in the eastern portion of the prov ince are good. Toronto reports large receipts of hay from Quebec. Eastern | Nova Scotia crop prospects are dis appointing owing to drought. Crop prospects and the outlook for cod.fish- ing in Newfoundland are both excellent. Bank clearings at Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec and Nova Scotia
 amount to $s47, ,553,3 ,357 for six months of 1 1895. In the first half of 1894 the to- tai was s457,7476S7; the gain is about ' per cent
 Total business failures in the domin- ion numbered 25 this week, against 39 in the week a year ago.