The Monticellonian., 1895-01-04
DUN'S CONNER GAL REVIEW

Tn" wage Farmers of the Country Tor Three Years Comparcd-IIoliday Pur-
 ehases Reflect tho Hard Times, Etc.
 NEW YORK, Dec. 29.-R. G. Dun X Co. s weekly review of trade issued to- day says:
 Commercial failures in 1894, already reported to R. q. Dun & Co.,. number 14,292. against l5, 942 last year. with li- abilities of SlG3, 23s.404 against S346,- 739,S last year Next week the final report for 1894 will probably include about 400 more fai urcs, with liabilt- ties of about $4,0oo, ,0o0. From these accounts, banks and bankers, financial and transporting companies are ex- eluded
 Manufacturing failures already num- Der 2,756, against 3,422 last year, but liabilities are only S64, 401 ,2s7, against S176, 091 last year. The trading failures already number II 3l4, against 11,5i2 lust year. but liabilities are only 1 SS7, sos, 057, against S13O, 062, ,333 last year.
 The statement by sections shows a decrease of about two-thirds in de- faulted liabilities in the middle and i NNilNl di liOi illtIH hlditS, OIlt- HUI III the west and southwest, and third in other sections.
 Holiday trade has scarcely met eX- peetations. Purchases have been nu- merous, but smaller than usual in amount and more confined to needful articles, thus anticipating ordinary trade.
 The volume of business represented by clearing house exchanges is TT per cent. larger than last year, but 21s per cent. less than the year before, and the daily average for December has been Fl per cent. more than last year, but 25.2 less than the year before.
 Wheat has declined a half cent, though western receipts have been only l,l7a a0s bushels against ; 109, sG3 for the same week last year; but since August receipts have been little larger than last year, and the visible supply is the largest ever known. EN- ports i'll December from both coasts have been little larger than last Xear, but for the crop year about ? ,00o,- 000 smaller. The western estimate, usually regarded with most confidence, is that the crop will reach 515, GOO, GOO bushels. which will leave for export, with the stocks brought over, more than 200, 000,00 bushels, of which only f5,900, 000 bushels have gone abroad
 Corn has declined three-quarters of a cent, with good receipts.
 The price of cotton has not changed, but the fact that receipts from planta- tions this month have been greater than in lsa1, while stocks in sight here and abroad are larger than at the same date that year, is an obstacle to any rise,
 Revision of prices for cotton goods have been the controlling feature since the great auction, and wide sheetings have been marked down about 10 per cent, while changes all along the line are expected. It is no longer disputed that the consuming demand has fallen below expectations and below the pro- duetions which mills kept up in the hope of increased consumption.
 Very little has been done in wooden goods, all waiting for developments after January |, when new duties take effect. Low grade overcoming already opened show little change, and in dress goods one or two cases of slight ad vance are noted. Sales of wool this month have been r, SOC, 500 pounds, against lS,049, 197 last year and 2l, 302,- 800 in 1899, and Ohio has sold at F cents.
 The market for iron and steel is waiting, but the reduction in wages at the Edgar Thomson works, aver aging l5 per cent, plainly indicates the same difficulty which is seen in other quarters, that the demand for consumption does not answer to the increase in production of pig iron. The shipments of rails for eleven months are reckoned at only 700,O tons, of which only 200, 900 tons are for new roads, Numerous projects for steel buildings are under considera- tion, but no important contract is reported. It gives some encourage ment that the Bethlehem works have secured a contract to make armor plate for Russia, but the order for cast pipe for Japan isstill in doubt. Prices have scarcely changed during the week, though Bcssemer pig and billets are, if anything, q shade weaker. There is larger demand in nails, but in hard ware, machinery, engines and railway stocks and materials the business is much depressed
 Shipments of boots and shoes from Boston have been 640,471 cases in the past two months, against 5s4, ,230 in 1892, hitherto the largest year, but the difference about prices still checks op- erations.
 Money is still coming to this city in steady stream, and exports of gold for the week are expected to be about 8, 300, GOO. The dissolution of the bond syndicate, on the ground that the pending currency bill has destroyed the market for bonds is the most i'm portant event in financial circles, and is liable to have results of some conse- quencc.
 Failures in three weeks of Decem- her show liabilities of Sl0,651 ,937, of which S5. 5.569,76o were manufacturing and SG,75l,4l9 of trading concerns.
 The failures this week have been $50 in the United States, against 5t1 last year, and II in Canada, against fl last year.
 Burning of the Piatt and Lawless Block | at Waterbury, Conn.
 WATERBURY, Conn, Dec. 29.-The Platt block, a handsome brick struc- ture on the corner of East Main street