The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-14
DECEMBER BUSINESS DULL.
A REVIVAL LOOKED FOR AFTER
THE HOLIDAYS.

Brisk and In Stocks Decidedly Inas-
tive-No Increase i'm the Exports of
Gold and the Outward Movement of
Products "A Shade Larger-ScarceIy
a Ripple of Interest Created BY the
Government Crop Report.
New York, Dec. 13.-R. G. Dun & Co,
will say tomorrow in their weekly review
Of trade: 1.-The failures for the first week
Of December. show liabilities of $3.1O4.Ss1.
against S4.0S6. S66 last year. and S4.76l, 400 in
1898. In manufacturing they are 81, ISL. 200,
against s1,427. as last year. and 81, 7s0, 044
in 1893; and in trading 81. s92. SCI against 81
4O1. i51 last year. and 1881 65 in 1893. The
failures for the week have been S3S in the
United States against $40 last year, and 81
in Canada against 20 last year.
1T has been quiet week without any
disturbance. The prices of manufactured
products slowly recede from the high wa
ter mark of speculation, and no material
increase in demand is now expected until
after the holidays, but there is general
confidence that greater activity will then
appear.
Speculation is not very brisk, and in
stocks decidedly inactive, except in a
few industrials. The outgo of gold does
not expand and the outward movement
of products is a shade larger. Clear
ings are 10.4 per cent more than last year.
The government crop report caused
scarcely a ripple of interest, though in
dicating less than 100000 bales of cotton
and a larger acreage than had been ex-
pected of winter wheat The great sup
plies of cotton brought over from previous
years render it unimportant whether the
yield of 1895 was 100000 or 5000 600 bales.
except as affecting future planting, and
the extensive organizations of planters
to keep back their cotton deprive small
receipts of their natural influence. Wheth-
er from that cause or not, the receipts
have recently been over 40 per cent. small
Ter than last year; but the takings of spin
ners and exports are also smaller.
The iron furnaces in blast Dec. l, turn
ed out 2l6,797 tons weekly, against 217,306
NOV. !, with an increase of 5000 tons in the
stocks unsold. But the actual consump-
ton is much smaller than the output al
present, ard prices again decline-No. l
anthracite to SlS,75, Bessemer pig at Pitts
burg to $3.50, and Grey forge to $l2. Finish
ed products are weak, and sell below quo
tations, though quoted prices average
about half of one per cent lower for the
week. Heavy orders by the Rockefeller
interest for plates and other material to
build vessels for the transportation of
Mesabi ore next year, have strengthened
the market somewhat, but the demand al
the east is very light and most of the
WOThS nave shortened force considerably,
while at Plttsburg structural forms, plates,
sheets and pipes are in light demand, and
some bar mills in the valley have shut
down for want of orders Higher prices
are expected for ore and coke, and it is
believed this will cause an upward turn
in iron.
1.-The shoe manufacturing is getting rath-
er more new business, mainly in cheaper
goods, by a reduction in prices, which
has averaged nearly four per cent. since
the last week of November.
business cotton gained
print cloths are lower at 31s cents, while
a few more reductions are noted in the
prices of other goods. The manufacturer
has had highly profitable season, though
dull now"
Bradstreet's. tomorrow, will say:
with the exception of mild weather at
cities in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and
Minnesota, colder weather has stimulat-
ed sales of seasonable merchandise at
nearly all points, but only by contrast
with preceding weeks. The wholesale
trade is dull, merchants preferring to
reduce stocks. at the end of the year. to
make ready for the annual inventories.
In retail lines there has been. marked
increase in demand. lrregulartty is shown
in mercantile collections, genera trade
throughout the country being relatively
sippi valley.
'''The bank clearings throughout the
United States this week aggregate 81 ,129-
OOO,O 600, a decrease of per cent. from last
week, which is not unusual AS compar-
ed with the clearings for the second week
of December, 1894, this weeks aggregate
shows an increase of 10 per cent.
The course of the prices of staples
continues downward. Lumber remains
steady and without particular activity
Iron and steel continue what appears to
be a regular weekly decrease, although
the reductions this week are fractional.
The only advances in quotations re-
corded among the most important staples
are for petroleum, coffee and cotton.
In industrial lines wooden manufacture
ers report fair orders for dry goods, but
at low prices. Philadelphia textile plants
are running on full time, but are at work
on orders for immediate delivery. Phil
adelphia manufacturers of morocco have
begun running on short time.
'There were 3l3 business failures re-
ported throughout the United States this
week compared with 315 last week 1888 in
the like week one year ago, 337 two wears
ago and 29S in the second week of Deem
Der, 1892.
features are the disappointing Christmas
trade at several cities; smaller volume of
business, except in Christmas goods, at
Chicago; increased distribution of heay-
Ter textile shoes and rubber goods at ST
Louis and continued depression in Ger
tain lines at Kansas City, Omaha and
Minneapolis because of mild weather
Among southern cities the single instance
of Improvement is reported from Birm-
ingham, although most distributing cen
tiers expect an increased demand after
Jan. /.
The cotton receipts are unusually small
at almost all southern points, except AT
New Orleans, where they are liberal
| Galveston reports the Christmas trade
smaller a on