The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-04
THE BUSINESS OUTLOOK.
1eneral Trade Exhibits the Usual Mid
summer Dizziness.

New York. July S-Bra6s.reetss to-,or-
TOW viii say: General trade in both COM
merclsl and Industrial lines is .auIler. bat
me falling OF is. in part. the usual mid
summer dull1esS- Comparatively few
changes are noted. but most OF them are
decreases In either price or demand. Quo
tarons for wheat. Indian corn. cotton.
oats iron and steel are lower. Sugar has
reacted after the decline last week
Leather remains conspscuousIy firm, with
snoe factories ousily employed, and pesro-
leurn AMI anthracite coal are higher
The sentiment OF the trade at many
points Is that the immediate outlook for
business Is not favorable AT some West
eT1 ceneers complaint IS made that the
purchasing power OF the agricultural con-
m2Hify IS curtailsd by the prolonged low
prices for farm products The general in
dustrial situation shows no renewal OF ae-
sivity.
Exports OF wheat from both coasts OF
the Gnited States and from Montreal -four
included wheat. one days shipments
missing from four Atlantic ports. aggre-
gated s5H. 900 bushels. against ssy- 900
bushels last week. cor. 600 in the first week
OF july. 1855. 1.s5o.6do bushels in the CORE
spending week OF 1884. and s.s.7 90 in the
like week OF 1850
Business failures in the United States for
six months number 7,6o2. the largest six
months total since records have been
complied The Increase. compared with
lsss and 1884. Is more than 100 IN each in
stance. Is and per cent respectively
The total liabilities are si0s ST. .oea This
has been exceeded only twice before in
IKE periods, In the panic years .sa4 and
issA The Increase In total liabilities over
the first half Of 1885 Is 81 per cent, and
over 1884 1t is . per cent.
The total number OF business failures in
the dominion or Canada for six months IS
l.lsi for 1886. compared with s3i In 1895. an
increase OF nearly q per cent. Business
failures were more numerous IL the Inst
six months than in the like portion Of 1898
in each of the provinces except Manitoba
and British Columbia The total iiahlli-
ties this year are s. 2s4. 600 against Sc SO 600
last year. gain OF IL per cent.
Dun's Review of Trade.
r.. @. Dun & Cas- weekly review OF
trade tomorrow VIII say: Current move
ments have been SO largely of a temporary
character. or else purely speculative on
the day BY day plan. that they are not
highly instructive. Thus an extensive
shutdown OF cotton mills is solely in the
hope that half production in July and
August may clear a largely over-stocked
market. Stock fluctuations were still more
ephemeraI, including two sharp declines
and partial rallies within a week, both
lahorionsy ascribed 20 various political
causes, put mainly due TO keen operators
who saw chances for a quick turn.
The output Of iron has largely decreased
and there is quite a general stoppage OF
work for repairs, but the annual contro-
VERSES about wages have In most cases
been settled. and il Is believed will be set
tied In all without strikes. The problem
whether prices for coke, ore and billets
established by the combinations for this
year can be maintained against decreas-
nj erfa n
be siInpllfied II there were no combinations
In nails and rails and some other finished
products.
Wheat declined 1ikc and recovered IIc.
but Western receipts continue remarkably
large. 2.sii,Tl9 bushels. against s4i.si0 last
year for the same week. Atlantic exports
show similar increase, and for Ave weeks.
-four included, have been s,47.s7S bushels
against 5,s55, f25 last year The stocks In
sight are better than a year ago. and.
though winter wheat Yields less, spring
wheat seems likely, with fair weather. 10
yield more than last year. Corn promises
remarkably well. and also oats.
Failures for the week have been 81 In
the United States. against 1877 last year.
and z in Canada, against "a year ago.
Bradstreet's Financial Review.
Bradstreets review OF the stock nnarke.
tomorrow will say; Decidedly bearlsh
tendencies asserted themselves I'm the New
York stock market this week Certain
days were marked BY a more decided
shrinkage In values than has been wit
messed for some months past aceompa-
niei by both liquidation on a large scale
ana oy pressure upon prices from opera
tors for the short account. Apart from
sales OF stocks where the margin should
have been exhausted or holders became
anxious as TO the outcome, the public has
had little part in this weeks trading It's
increased activity with such exceptions
was mainly professional, although a very
considerable feature OF the situation was
the heavy aggressive buying on declines
by the foreigners This, indeed. has been
one OF the most remarkable incidents OF
the week. Cable reports describe Ameri-
cans as being the most active department:
In the London market. and state. more
over, that az the declines a very active
demand for them has made its apnearanca
in that quarter. Al the same time. so far
as can be learned. the buying in question
can scarcely be all by the foreign public.
but is due to large banking and specula tive
Interests In London. While the action Of
the foreigners did not at once check the
Generalization in Wall street. In she end
II affected speculative sentiment and was
influential in producing the steadier tone
which asserted Itself in the latter part of
the week at the low level OF prices on
Friday the market was DUH. steady and
somewhat higher on covering OF shorts ans
continued foreign buying. At the close the
market weakened little on professional
bear selling.
Bank CIearance<.
The following table. compiled by Brad
s'r-ets. shsws the total clearances at the
principal cities and the percentage o. IN
crease or decrease. as compared with the
corresponding week last year: