Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-11-16
CONDITION OF TRADE.
Bradstrset Says General Business
Remains About the Same.
Bank cIearings Show Slight IncFeass-DT
Goods Are Most Active.

New York, Nov. l5.-braustfeets' w.
morrow, will say:a The condition OF gen
e:al trade throu ghout the country con
tinues irregular, without any material
change. There is distinct falling OH IN
the demand for iron and steel, with per
hans the heaviest reaction in quotations
in those lines reported in any week since
the late boom In those metals reached It's
climax Central and Western cities con-
Time 70 feel the uDfavorable influence OF
the unseasonably mild weather. which Is
true ne we'll of the cities at the Northwest.
Then then is long list of decreases In
ouorations for merchandise. wheat, corn,
oats nork. lard and coffee, among food
nroducts: cotton, print cloths and Lumber
lat Boston) as we'll as various grades OF
iron and steel, copper, lead, and weaker
onotations for tin plates. The converse
includes an unexpected Improvement in
wooden goods, increased orders for manu-
features, and higher prices for several
qualities of goods.
In addition, there is continuace In
the improvement reported for weeks in
bank clearings, as well as in gross earnings
reported by railways, having 100, 900 miles
of main line The October gross railroad
earnings reflect generally improved trade
and an especially heavy movement. The
spring wheat is the largest gain shown for
any months but June and July Of this ear
The heavy falling off in Southwestern
railroad earnings Is attributed to the
shortage in the cotton crop in Texas.
The total earnings during the month on
1875 roads, with over 100, 900 miles of track,
is S54, S37, 075, q gain over last year of g. 8
per cent. Last year, almost the same mile
age showed a decrease of 81 per cent
from 1898. Granger roads show heaviest
increases, several gains ranking as phe-
nomenal; the fact that % per cent of all
the roads represented show gains, is evil
dence of the widespread character of the
improvement in railroad matters. South
western roads and coalers show decreases
but ever other group shows gazing.
All the trunk lines and nearly all South
ern roads show increases, the latter in
spite of the short cotton CROP For 10
months, this year, the total earnings of
l24 roads aggregate $421, 101, 963, an in
crease over last year of AZ per cent, fol-
lowing decrease in 1894 from 1898 OF ~
per cent Every group of roads shows a
gain for the 10 months period, this year,
over last, the Central Western group show
ing the largest increase and the Southern
| roads the smallest gains.
The bank clearings at the cities through
out the United States aggregate 81, 70l,-
900, 600 this week, 4 per cent. more than last
week, II per cent more than in the second
week of November, 1894, and, compared
| with the corresponding period in 1899, the
falling off is IL per cent.
In the industrial departments, more ir-
regularity exists than tor several months.
| In addition to the Improvement in WOODEN
goods manufacturing, there Is q gain
| among makers of mill supplies. The
leather manufacturers are curtailing the
output, which tends to the market for
shoes, Notwithstanding that the mild
weather has delayed sales. Lumber is
weaker at Boston, because of ample sup
plies and declining demand, the reverse
being the case at Philadelphia, owing to
delayed shipments. The lumber sales at
Chicago are disappointing, at Minneapo-
lis, fair, and at Duluth, the lumber cut Is
about $50, 000 900 feet, which is said to be
the largest on record there.
In commercial lines, ST. Louis, Nash
Vile, Boston and New York report most
favorably with respect to the demand for
merchandise. At Chicago, Baltimore,
Chattanooga Galveston, Birmingham,
Kansas City, Omaha, Des Moines and
points in Minnesota and Dakota. the
volume of goods has not increased and in
some instances has fallen off. The most
active demand Is for general dry goods.
Other features include very generally |
unsatisfactory mercantile collections, East, |
West and South, the exceptions being con- |
spicuous by their infrequency. There is |
a disposition in the Gulf states to make |
cotton move freely. Texas cities report a |
checked volume of business, resulting
from lower prices for cotton.
The features on the Pacific coast include |
ample disengagcd wheat tonnage at San
Francisco, increasing flour trade with the
Orient at Portland, and growing export
business from Tacoma The total exports
of wheat tfiour included as wheat) from
both coasts of the United States and |
Montreal, this week, aggregate 1895, 900
bushels, the largest weekly total, this
year, since the middle of January. The
total in the week year ago was, 900, 900
bushels.
The total exports Of Indian corn from
both coasts of the United States, this
week, were / g12, 900 bushels, so per cent.
more than last week, and the largest
weekly total exports of Indian corn since
the third week of April, 1894.
Two hundred and seventy nine failures
are reported throughout the United States
this week, compared with $50 in the week,
a year ago.
The st. Petersburg bourse has been in
a state of panic for several days past
All stocks, including rents, rapidly
declined Various causes were ascribed
for the collapse. The situation was so
serious, Wednesday, that all the chief