The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-01
TRADE NOT HOPEFUL.
Factories and Furnaces in the
Eastern States Closing.
SPRING GOODS ORDERS SMALL.
More Business Failures Than Ever Be-
fore In the Corresponding Week
The Wheat Boom.

New York, Jan. S1.-Bradstreets tomor-
row will say: The features OF the week
are continued retarded demand for mes-
chandlse and checked Industrial opera
tons. Least satisfactory is the waiting
attitude of some OF the more important III
dustries Shoe factories at Philadelphia
are shutting down OF running on part time;
cotton goods makers regard the outlook Tor
their product as unpromtsnE; there IS 4
reaction In the price of steel blllets+ of fifty
pig iron furnaces III the PittSburS ana
Shenago districts. fourteen are idle, and the
position of wooden goods is shown by the
fact that foreign wooden goods are relative
~ most active. General trade at the close
OF January proves disappointing, partieu-
larry in Central, Western and Northwest
ern states, where the movement or mef-
chandise from jobbers has been slow and
unsatisfactory, 1t oeing only fair a, few
points. The volume OF spring goods dis
tr.buted from Chicago in January falls be-
hind expectations. although larger than
IN January, 1895. Some traders in territory
tributary 10 Chicago are making orders
small, owing TO having carried over large
stocks and 70 desire 70 eonine purchases
to actual requirements. At 81. Louis
spring demand Is slow. The condition In
the Northwest is such that grain moves
freely In some regions irrespective OF low
prices.
Exports of wheat, -four included, from
both coasts OF the United States this week
show a marked falling of. amounting 10
only $500 600 bushels, compared with D.
sis, 900 bushels last week and 2.iSS,ooo BUSH
els In the week year ago.
Business failures throughout the United
States this week show another large IN
crease not only as compared with last
week, but as contrasted with the total Tor
the fourth week in January, 1883, 1884 ana
1899. The total is 1893: last week It was 81.
last year, sls in 1884, $40; in 1888, 27l; IN lSs2.
279.
Dun's Review of Trade.
r. G. Dun & Co.'S weekly review OF trade
tomorrow will say: Though business Is
still waiting there are some signs or DELI
mite Improvement. IL Is DelleFed that the
first payment for bonds will cause no fur-
Their pressure, and the money markets are
easter as respects loans on collateral.
though the difficulty of making commercial
loans still checks operations. But the large
maturities at the end of January have been
met more satisfactorily than was expected,
ana merchants and bankers report that the
signs promise a good spring trade.
No increase appears yet in the demand
fer the principal products, unless for some
forms of iron and steel, in which good con-
tracts have been made this week, and un-
certainty as TO congressional action stiu
affects industries and commerce, but the
increase in inquiry and the reports OF deal
ers are deemed assurances or large traae
coming whenever the uncertainty Is over.
Signs OF Improvement in the iron and steel
business are gra tifying. even though they
spring from combinations which have
raised the price of coke and allotted the
output OF lake iron ore. There Is also
better demand for wire nails. after long
stagnation. and also for sheets. Fig IRON ~
weaker Southern works competing sharp
ly. while speculative buyers OF some
inc r
mace prices, but the average from all
products is practically unchanged and l1.4
per cent below the highest last year. Coke
production has again been cut down 1870
tons in single week. The minor metals
are strengthened a shade by speculation.
sales of wool at the three chief markets
have diminished OF late. manufacturers
buying only for present needs.
wheat has again advanced about cents
for cash, but only la cents for May, al
though Atlantic exports are little larger
than a year ago. and for four weeks, hour
included have been s.43,755 bushels.
against !, 3o7, s34 bushels last year. Neither
this fact nor the continued excess OF
Western receipts for the week, 2.3sl,si3
bushels, against /, ID, oi2 bushels last year,
explain the advance. for which the basis
or the excuse must be sought In foreign
advances
Failures this week have been 4ol in the
L.
20 in Canada. against "A last year.
Bradstreet's stock Review.
BradstFeets stock review says: The rise
OF the bulllsh sentiment in speculative cir
clea has been very marked during the past
week. Not only has II led TO a somewhat
wider market and greater activity, but TO
the development of manipulation on the
part OF the large speculative interests
which have found the rank and file Of the
Wall street professionals ready 10 follow
their leadership. While public interests
and participation in the stock market has
increased somewhat, 10 IS stin upon linn
tied scale, and the advancing tendencies
which prices have exhibited may be at
tributed mainly to manipulation OF par
ticular portions of the list.
The decline in exchange rates below the
specie export point has had consa~rani
effect IN keeping up the buoy17cy OF spec
ulstion. Europe has also bought st3cAs.
though on limited scale. and al the close
Of the week a revival OF the public ape
lite for speculation vas no1ieeabie. uss
manifestations. however. being mainly con-
fined 70 the low-prfeed members OF The
share list Fridays market continued TO
20 show great underlying strength. bat the
expectation OF the passage OF the free silver
OH IN the senate were REGARDED as a Pos
slDle reason for reaction.
Interest has centersd mainly In Sugar.