The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-12
BRADSTREETS' REPORT.
Moderate Improvement in Trade is
Generally Reported.
RAILROAD EARNINGS FOR 1894
WERE VERY UNFAyORABLE.

Bank CIearipgs for the Past Week Show
an Improvement-Ont the Pacific Coast
Prospects of q Large Wheat Crop Create
Dullness-Wool Quoted at the Lowest
Prices Known.
New York, January 11.-Bradstreets to-
morrow will say: The second week Of the
New Year brings new report OF increasing
volume OF orders for seasonable goods.
Weak conditions in the East ha ve been un-
favorable. and those West and South the
reverse. Chicago, st. Louis, Boston, New
York and Philadelphia, report relatively
the greatest:improvement, with increased
orders for dry goods, clothing, rubbers,
shoes, hardware and wooden dress goods.
Western furniture manufacturers are stock
| ing up, which had an influence ON the hard
wood trade. Western dealers in iron and
steel expect increased orders by FEBRUARY
| /. The production Of iron and steel is going
on in excess OF the demand, and manu-
| facturers expect the necessary repaiis, re-
newals and additions to plants by railroads
companies, car manufacturers. and other
| ing influence in the near future. A feature
among the jobbers at Philadelphia and Bos-
| ton has been the extent.to which the sales
| Of dry goods and shoes is pushed. Prints
and ginghams are opened, and new orders
are freely received. Foreign woolen dress
goods are active and going to all parts of
| the country. Not d few orders are already
| received. This had quieting effect on the
L., ,.>l Ha- lNvr to nd
WOODEN mills, while fairly husy on first Or
| ders are in the market for wool only to
cover contracts. Mercantile collections
| south and in the central west sre reported
as fairly satisfactory or improving to a
| greater extent than for thirty days pre-
viously. The confidence of Wholesale dealers
| in staple lines that the near future in busi-
moss promises increased activity with an
upward tendency in quotations is pro-
nounced at some cities, including Pittsburg,
Philadelphia, Boston at the East, and At
| lanta, Jacksonville. Chattanooga. Calves
| ton. In the South. Cleveland, Chicago,
| Omaha, st. Louis at the West.
Each Of these except Cleveland, reports a
moderately Improved condition of business
| this week. as does Milwaukee. At other
points general trade is quiet and un-
changed. without a feature. st. Paul and
Minneapolis jobbsrs report extremely care
full buying in the country. but it fs too early
to judge Of the outlook. Duluth states that
the outlook for business Is encouraging.
ON THE PACIFIC COAST.
I'm the Pacific coast trade at the most of
tho larger cities is quiet. AT San francisco
the almost constant rains have intensified
| the dullness, and the certainty of large
| crop of wheat depresses quotations for that
! cereal. At Portland. Oregon, merchants
| announce improvement in business due to
| the revival in demand from the interior.
| The total bank clearings throughout the
| United States for six business days ended
January 10. are 81 OBJ, 100000, an increase of
| s.4 per cent over the total for the previous
| week and gain Of 4.3 per cent over the
| second week OF January, 1894. When COM
pared with the corresponding week of 1893
four months before the panic appeared. the
| past weeks total shows decrease of "a per
| cont, and contrasted with II like total of
1898, a falling of of 20 per cent. This is a
comparatively favorable showing, rein
forced by the course of prices of staples.
| AS quotations for hides have been working
hign, those for wheat. Indian corn, pork,
l D~--5Ss ~~>
marked up. The prices for shoes. leather,
coal, lumber. naval store, rice. sugar. to-
baIco, and live cattle have been held firmly.
| Crudcr forms of iron and steel are no
! lower, but weak. neither is wool lower,
| but it is fat at lowest quotations known,
| and the prices for oats and live hogs have
declined.
RAILROAD EARNINGS.
The total gross railroad earnings for 1884
| are the most unfavorable for many years
| The earnings of ia leading American lines,
with "a. 600 miles of road are $4sS. 100000. OF
! IL per cent less than in 1898. In which yeal
the gross earnings fell of 81 per cent from
| the total in 1892, when their was gain In
| gross railway earnings of five per cent, as
| contrasted with 1898. Every group OF roads
showed reduced earnings last year as com
pared with 1898. The most favorable exhibit
| is by the southern lines. the decrease fol-
which only per cent. The gross earnings
| of Mexican railways show gain over 1885,
| of five per cent.
! THE WHEAT CROP.
The best available data with respect to
| the size of the domestic wheat CROPS of 1885
| and 1894. with supplies in sight at various
| dates, quantities planted and exported
| CONSUMED by animals in 1894 with Brad
streets reports of stocks out Of the farmers
hands. make it plain that the total wheat
| supplies in the the United States January
l. 1895, were Il, ,000,o 900 smaller than the year
| previously and the stocks back Of the avail
able supplies are fully 100000 bushels
| smaller
| The exports of wheat flour included as
wheat) from both coasts of the United
| States during the six business days that
ended .JaEualy1 10. amount to 2,5S7. .0o(
bushels as compared with 100000 the
second week Of January. 1884, The supplies
NJ a yailable wheat in the United States anG