St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-14
DEALERS ENJOYING LARGE HOPES,
BUT VERY LITTLE ACTUAL
BUSINESS.
ONE FAVORABLE FEATURE
is THE GREATLY INCREASED
EARNINGS SHOWN BY RAIL
WAY COMPANIES.
OUTLOOK is NOT VERY BRIGHT.
Failures for the Week We're Much
More Heavy and Numerous Than
Last Year.

NEW YORK, March 13.-R. G., Dun
& Co.'S weekly review of trade. which
issues tomorrow, will say: Waiting is
still the rule. Large hopes, but little
actual business explains the strength
or some markets and the weakness OF
others. The feeling that the spring of
1896 ought to bring larger business will
not be sufficient to meet expenses all
the season If the larger business does
not come. 1t is especially noteworthy
that prices of materials have varied
quite lndifferently from prices of man.
ufactured products, though in most
cases the advance of last fall was COM
menced by extraordinary uplifting of
prices for materials. Thus cotton is
279 per cent higher than a year ago.
but cotton goods average only 17.7 per
cent. Wool is but 53 per cent higher
than a year ago, but woolen goods
are, on the whole, about per cent
lower. Pig iron is only II per cent
higher than q year ago, while finished
products Of iron and steel average 45
per cent higher These comparisons
are important because they disclose
something Of the grave dislocation of
prices which inadequate consumption
and combinations have produced.
The output of pig iron March 1 was
1S9,503 tons weekly, against 1913, 500 Feb.
l, but the unsold stock has risen sc, ,764
tons during the past month. or 17.441
weekly, and the unsold stocks of the
great steel companies are not included.
Failures for the week have been
81
and 292 in 1894. Manufacturing q
were $S96,915, against $7S5, ,296 last year,
and trading were $2,OO5, $50, against
1897, ,656 last year.
Failures for the week have been 800
in the United States, against 266 last
year, and 60 in Canada, against 81 last
year.
BRADSTREET'S REPORT.
Bradstreet's tomorrow will say: The
only conspicuously favorable feature
of the general business situation is the
report of February gross railway earn
ings throughout the country. Receipts
Of 126 companies last month were larger
with single exception than in any
preceding month for more than three
years, the February total for 1895 being
$34,4S4,000, a gain over the total last
year of nearly IA per cent. These re-
suits are due in part to favorable
weather conditions. large grain traffic
and the inclusion of one more business
day.
General trade shows no marked
change. Distribution of merchandise
is most active for dry goods, hard
ware, shoes and millinery, paints, oils
and heavy chemicals, but has been
unsatisfactory. Jobbers report spring
trade Of a waiting character, due to
belated snowstorms and cold weather.
Collections with few exceptions, are
no better, and in many instances less
satisfactory, which tends to retard the
movement of merchandise
Total exports of wheat (flour includ-
ed as wheaD from both coasts of the
United States during six business days
ending with March II amount to 2,4O1,-
600 bushels, against 2,409,OO0 bushels
last week, 2,791, 900 bushels in the cor
responding week last year 3,25S. 900
bushels in the second week of March.
1894, and as compared with 1855, 900
bushels in the like week of 1898.
Total exports of Indian corn in the
same week amount to 1,70S,0 900 bushels,
a little more than 1000, 900 bushels less
than in the previous week, and as
compared with S82,0O0 bushels in the
like week last year, and with 1,27S, 900
bushels in the corresponding week of
1894.