The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-14
CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
Business Has Improved Greatly in
the Past Week.


New York Nov AR G. Dun &
Co. s weekly review of trade says.
No one doubts that the brighter day
is daWnlng, and it is a common reuark
that never before has business shown
so great a change for the better within
a single week Dispatches telling Of
about 500 establishments which have
opened and have materially enlarged
their force, though they fill many col
umns. give only part OF the fact, for
throughout the country the gain has
been surprising even to the most hope
full
Tt is not mere speculation or hope
which lights the fires and starts the
wheels, for orders which have been ac-
Cumulating for months with the neCeS-
sary replenishment Of dealers stocks
now greatly reduced, would employ the
whole producing force for time and
increase in number of hands at work
means increase in purchases for con-
sumption.
Foreign need of American wheat con-
tinues an important factor, and the
price has advanced to So cents, gaining
cents for one week, 10 cents for two
weeks and q cents since early in Sep
TENDER The price is the highest since
June, 1892 Western receipts were only
8, 494. 033 bushels against S,2O2. S64 last
year, but the election cut off much work
during the days in which these receipts
We're started to market Atlantic ex-
ports in spite of scanty freight ROOM
were for two weeks 2,7l7.231 bushels
C1our included against $3.50, 3S4 last
year, and Pacific shipments are also
heavy to india South Africa and Au-
stralia-
Many textile works have been starting
or increasing force mostly on orders
booked weeks ago. But there has not
been much gain in the demand as yet
After purchases of 46. 900, 900 pounds Of
wool in I'VE weeks the transactions fell
to 6,243, ZOO pounds last week, but prices
We're strong ana IN some grades cent
higher. and even a greater advance is
demanded at the west, while foreign
markets are higher and Australia fully
i cent per pound
There is better demand for light
weight mems goods and for dress goods
but not enough as yet to start most of
the waiting mills
The cotton goods market is not vet
active, but more liberal estimates of the
cotton crop are generally credited, caus-
ing an eighth decline to cents.
The output Of iron furnaces in blast
NoYem Der was 124 or tons weekly
having been increased IL .295 tons or 1O6
per cent in the latter part of October by
confidence in the future. All the mar
kets were stronger although the enOr-
nous purchases of pig iron in advance
of needs caused comparative inactivity
at present Plates and steel bars are
81 to SO per ton higher and sheets in
better demand. Anthracite and besse-
mer pig have advanced a shade and the
average Of prices is 21a per cent HIGHER
Ihe billet pool is in protracted meet
ing here this week to decide upon its
course and is still undersold. The beam
bar rail and wire nail association meet
this week and the underselline- of wire
nails by outsiders has gone so far that
q decline Of 81 cents is openly quoted. 1t
is noteworthy that the prevailing ex-
pectations, Notwithstanding the general
Improvement in business is that some.
III not all these combinations will de-
eide to reduce prices. The coke com
bine, it now appears. has not prevented
large contracts for future delivery at
less than SL75. but the output last week
decreased. A heavy sale of copper to
foreigners to cover ten million pounds
has raised the price to 111s cent and
tin actually sells at 10 cents. though less
quoted.
Failures for the week have been .27e
ia the United States against 2s3 last
year, and 46 in Canada against 49 last
year.