Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-01-14
BUSINESS BACKWARD.
Trade In a State of Hesitation Rather
Than of HOpefulness.

New York, Jan. 11.-R. G. Dun & Co.,
In their weekly review of trade, say:
1.-THE now year begins with such uncer-
tainty that business is somewhat retarded.
The proposed sale of bonds offers ground
for confidence in the future, but no one
Is able to determine what its earliest eff
fects may be in the money market, and for
the time 1t Is a case of hesitation rather
than hopefulness. Speculation in products
has not been active. Cotton Is not I'M
changed, although the receipts for the
week have not been very large. but some
slackening appears in the foreign demand.
Wheat is about one cent higher. and corn
the same, without distinct reason In either
case.
The Industrial situation has not material
ly changed. There Is much hesitation in
the iron business, with some advance in
Bessemer pig because Of the expectation
that Connellsville coke and lake ore will
both be dearer and yet finished products
of iron and steel are on the whole quoted
a little lower Everything turns on the
contracts for ore which are still unsettled,
but the great excess in production of pig
iron over the present demand is no longer
denied. and 1t is expected that quite num-
Der of the furnaces will presently discon-
tinue production.
''In boots and shoes the average Of
prices is q shade lower. Leather Is a little
lower, but hides are on the whole about five
per cent. stronger at Chicago. with scanty
offerings. The demand for boots and shoes
falls far behind expectations, and many
shops have been closed for time.
1.-THE volume of domestic trade indicated
by payments through the principal clear
lighthouses shows the usual large increase
Of 146 per cent. over last year. but in COM
parson with the same week in 1885, shows
decrease of13.1 per cent Part Of this diff
ference must DO attributed to the shrink
age in prices, but there is also without
doubt q considerable decrease In the dis
tribution of goods to final consumers.
Liabilities in failures for the first two
days Of January amounted to 1913. 795. of
which s240.4o7 were of manufacturing and
se7s.8SS Of trading concerns. Failures for
the week have been ADJ in the United States
against 420 last year. and 53 in Canada,
against 81 last year."
Bradstreet's says:
General trade has not improved appre-
ciably. Some wholesale houses are send
Ing out travellers, while others have not
weather at western points has interfered
with business in some instances, and the
week continues to present characteristics
of between-seasons period. The impress
sion is general that uncertainty as to finan-
cial action by congress and disturbing po-
litical conditions have an unfavornble in
fuence on the prospect for new enterprises.
Mercantile collections east. west and
northwest are complained of. but at the
south the comparative ease with which
they are made forms a conspicuous excep-
ton. Demand for funds at various western
centers is the most active for year.
Stocks of wholesalers at many of the larger
Interior distributing points are low. First
advices of statesmen on the road are Of mod
crate demand for goods, improvement
showing itself first in dry goods. shoes and
clothing"