The Portland daily press., 1896-08-22

Bradstr eet's Review OF the Business Situa-
tion for the Week-Crops Good, De-
mand Good, But Politics Bad.
New York, August 21.-Bradstreet's
tomorrow will say: The general trade
throughout the United States is practi-
cally confined to staple lines. The vol.
ume of business is no larger. Where orders
have increased In number they are small
or in size. In almost all instances they
are based on nearby requirements.
The feature of. thessweek is the increased
difficulty in making collections and the
higher rates for mercantile discounts.
Credits are being scanned more closely
than heretofore and are granted less free
ly. Chicago bankers are slow to make
loans except to move the crops, and Chi
oago bank deposits are decreasing. For
eign banks there demand gold notes.
Portland, Oregon, announces that many
coast bankers are restricting loans with
the natural effect on trade. At Buffalo,
PIttsburg, Charleston, Cincinnati and
Galveston, mercantile collections are
slower than before.
Business in south Carolina Is retarded
by the drouth and in North Louisiana,
Texas, Southern Arkansas and Mississip-
pi, the prolonged drouth has so inter-
fered with business in some sections that
it amounts to calamity.
Some Northwestern lumber mills have
shut down owing to low prices and diff
GUILTY In obtaining money, while the de-
mand for woolens for spring delivery Is
not yet sufficient to start up machiery.
More favorable trade advices are received
from Baltimore, where business Is satis-
factory owing to the better southern
pur rchases, based on the early cotton crop.
Among the Southern cities, Atlanta is
conspicuous for repol ting better trade.
At Chicago there is more hopeful feel
ing among dealers in dry goods, clothing
and shoes, in which sales have incl eased.
Southern and Southwestern uyers have
appeared in st. Louis and aro buying
with moderate freedom for fall wants.
Kansas City jObters report good sales in
all lines and that the rains have assured
large corn crop to Kansas. At st. Paul
there is better demand for hardware,
groceries and drugs.
kilograms from Seattle state that large
shipments of live stock and general mer-
chandise have been made to Alaska and
that the receipts of new wheat ar1 small
er than expected. Twelve lumber ves
sells are waiting to load at Tacoma; and
San Francisco wires that shipment of
wheat -four to the Orient continue in
creased. Wheat exports from both o0Hsts
of the United States and from Montreal
this week, (four included as whest),
amount to g. 991, 693 bushels, against q
$780, 900 bushels In the week a year ago.
Reactions In prices for staples continue
prominent, with wool pig iron. lard, sug
ar, coffee. hides and lnm ber lower, and
-four, Indian corn and steel billets lowing
TO no sales), unchanged. Cotton is higher
on reduced estimates Of the probable size
of the corp. Wheat. oats, pork and petro-
lem are also higher.
The bank clearings throughout the
United States amount to only 1913, OOO 600
this week, almost exactly the same total
reported for the third week Of August,
1894, when the volume Of trade was very
small Compared with last week this
weeks total shows decrease of As per
cent; and oontrasted with the eek
year ago the falling off is almost ~ psr
cent.
Gross and net railway earnings for the
first half of 1896 show the effect OF un-
settled trade and financial conditions, in
only moderate gains over the correspond
ing period last year. The total earning of
129 railroads companies for the six
months aggregate $3.50, 66s, 975, gain of
Az per cen t, while the net earnings ag-
gregaJe s107, 9s6, 965, a gain Of 3.6 per
cent over last year, and the net earnings
gain of per cent over the year before.
The total business failures in the Unit
ed States is 264 this week, 70 more than
the week one year ago. The feature of
the weeks failures is found in the num-
Der of embarassments among concerns Of
large capitalization.