The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-30
BUSINESS is BETTER
R. G. Dun & Co. See Signs of
Improvement.
Railroad Earnings and Bank
Clearings Encouraging.
FAILURES ARE LESS.
Wages Have Been Advanced in
Some Quarters.

NEW IORk, Marcn oU.-h. ". OuQQ q
Co.'s Weekly Review of Trade says:
Signs of improvement are the more
satisfactory because neither accom-
panied or apparently produced by a
speculative craze. Dealings in stocks,
cotton and wheat are not diverting all
the interest and capital from pro-
ductive industries and legitimate trade,
though these products are all shade
stronger. But railroad earnings,
bank clearings and industrial
indications are more encour-
aging this week. It is a remarkable
feature that the lifting this year be-
gins at the bottom, 50 to speak; raw
materials are raised before there is
any larger demand for their finished
products, a thing not often done with
success. Hides rose, then leather and
then shoes; cotton rose and afterward
some cotton goods; coke was advanced
and afterward Bessemer pig. In all
these cases it is reasoned that the
larger demanafor consumption, though
yet wanting, must come when it is
seen that prices are going up.
Higher wages for coke workers have
been followed by a formal advance of
40 cents in the price of coke, and now
OCSSC41CI A6S IASCA Do COAO 70 az L ADb0-
burgh and 25 cents at Philadelphia. So
far there is no answering increase IN
demand or in prices for manufactured
products and on the whole the range is
slightly lower than a week ago, angles
and common bar having yielded a little.
Raw cotton has been hoisted until a
stronger market for goods resulted,
with some advances in price. The
tone of the dry goods market has been
decidedly irregular, though it does not
yet appear that rail distribution has
correspondingly increased. But stocks
of retail dealers are light, and when
they feel that prices are bound to, rise,
the demand may grow rapidly.
In the wooden business cancellations
in some lines have been startling in
magnitude, many mills which supposed
their whole product sold finding them
selves in need of customers This
seems to be mainly in low grade goods,
inferior quality being the common
complaint, but delays through strikes
also play part, while offers of cheap
foreign goods are not to be overlooked.
Quite large orders have been taken by
foreign agents for finer worsteds and
woolens, and all the way from the
poorest shoddy to the best goods the
competition will doubtless be sharp for
more than one reason. Sales of wool
| for the week have been quite large,
1929, 800 pounds, against 4.O7S, 200 last
year, partly because quantity held
for a loan was forced to sale. But
sales in four weeks have been 10, SAC, 200
pounds against 1919, 900 last year and
21, 1873, 400 in 1892.
The cotton speculation reached halt
with the enormous realization of last
week, and sales have been third
smaller with no advance. The season
is late and there are solid reasons for
reducing acreage, factories and traders
| being able to exert powerful indu-
ence if they choose. But the supply of
cotton now in sight or in spinners'
hands is over 2, 200, 900 bales more than
| the worlds requirements for this year,
with receipts for five months yet to
| come
| Guesses about the condition of wheat
| have varied widely this week and
prices are not much higher, the net
advance being 1 a cents. Atlantic ex-
ports, -four included, have been ], 391, :
O91 bushels, against 1, 446,613 last year,
and for the month ssh, 7O9 bushels,
against 5000, 734 last year, and mean
while western receipts for the month
have been 7,747, 361 bushels, against
| 7.OS4.513 last year Corn is l cent
| lower, while pork is rs cents per bar
rel and lard and hogs Is cents per
100 pounds higher.
The failures this week have been 234
in the United States, against 238 last
year, and AZ in Canada, against 80 last
year.