The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-02-08

Dun Notes m Improvements ~ At101~~
Bradstreef IL Disappointed
New York. Feb. l.--R. q. Dun a Co..
IN their weekly review Of trade. say:
Though business Il stIli waiting. there
ere some signs OF definite Improvement
II ~ now believed that the first payment
fer bonds VIII cause no further pressure.
and tho money markets are easier. as re-
snects iooh. On collateral. though the diff
ficuity OF making commercial loans stiil
checks operations. But large maturities
at tho end OF January have been knet more
satisfactorily than was expected and mer-
chants and HANGERS report that the signs
promise a good Spf'f trade.
mo increase appears as yet I'm the do
mand To- tho ~ :ncn'al products. unless for
some forms OF iron and steel. In which good
contracts have been made this week. Do
nestle trade recorded through clearing
houses Is 65 per cent. smaller than year
ago. Signs OF Improvement In tho iron ana
steel business are gratifying, even though
they spring from combinations which have
raised the price OF coke and allotted the
output or lake iron ore. Pig Iron Ia rather
weaker. southern works competing sharp
ly.whiic speculative buyers OF some months
ego arc selling below present furnace
practically unchanged anu liz per cent.
below the highest last year.
wheat has again advanced about
cents for cash. but only IA for May, al
though Atlantic exports are little larger
than year ago. Neither this fact nor the
continued excess OF western receipts ex-
plain an advance for which the basis or
the excuse must be sought I'm foreign re-
ports. Corn has ceased TO "sympathize,"
and records little advance. Cotton IL a
shade lower than week ago.
THE earnings OF railroads In three weeks
OF January were 80 per cent larger than
last year The stock market has been
lifted by these returns and hopeful none
tary conditions. so that the average for
railroad stocks In Si.H per share and for
trust si.A per share higher than a week
ago The expectation OF an anthracite
settlement has been powerful factor.
and IL is generally supposed that prices
VIII rise after the bond settlement.
Failures I'm three weeks OF January
show liabilities of ti7.s365ii. against sl0.-
cS'oG0 last year; In manufacturing {0,ocl.-
i2s this year. against 3. 40. ie3 last year; In
trading. tio.sl7 800. against sS.i65.267 last
year. Failures this week have been 40f
In the United States. against aSi last year.
and 20 In Canada. against "a last year"
Bradstreet's says of the trade situa-
ton;
General trade at the close or Janu-
nry proves disappointing. particularly In
central western, western and northwest
ern states. whore the movement or mer-
chandise from tobbers has been slow and
unsatisfactory. Il being only fair at n few
points. The volume OF spring goods dis
tributed from Chicago IN January falls boz
hind expectations, although larger than
I'm January. 1895. Some traders IN terri
tory tributary 10 Chicago are making or
dcrs small. owing 20 having carried over
large stocks and 10 desire 70 connno pur-
chascs 20 actual requirements At ST.
Louis spring demand Ia slow and general
trade Is characterized an only fair by tho
most sanguino, The condition In the north
west Is such that grain moves freely In
lxsa nf lav
A result OF aai this ~ shown by the cuts
by New York. Chicago and ST. Louis job
hers In prices or standard cotton goods.
which demoraiizes demand"