River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-03-26
SHOWS LITTLE GAIN
Tendency In Industrial and Commercial
Circles Not Encouraging.


Circles Not Encouraging.
New York. March 21.-R. q. Dun &
Co. in their weekly review of trade say:
movement toward better things is stfli
| the exception There is better business IN
| shoes and small Industries. and there has
been a squeezing of short sellers In cotton
| but the general tendency OF industries and
| prices is not encouraging, and those who
were most hopeful month ago are still
waiting, not so hopefully. for the expected
| recovery. DISTINCTIONS to recovery are not
| TO be sought primarily In the investment
| or the money market. but In the Industrial
reaction after the unnatural expansion of
demand and prices last year 1t is strik-
| ing fact that the only great industry which
| is now rapidly gaining In business Is the
one I'm which prices have been generally
| cut down to last years lowest figures, and
the boot and shoe makers had a reason for
hesitation In prices OF leather, which still
average six per cent. higher than a year
| ago, though hides are Is per cert. lower,
i having again declined the past week about
three per cent. II the manufacturers get
narrow profits or none. they are at least
doing business which VIII keep most OF
| the works in operation
1.-THE woolen mills have different condi-
| lions and with prices already reduced be-
| low last years lowest average. and wool
| SIS per cent higher than IL was then, they
are not getting business TO keen works in
Il
| in any week for years. A sharp decline IN
| the prices of cotton goods is the comment
| of mills on rising cotton. Goods now aver
| age lower than since May, 1895, having de-
1 clined AZ per cent. for the week. print
cloths to 2Is cents, which liz only a sixteenth
above the lowest price on record. The ac-
| emulation of goods in the face of slack
| and rapidly diminishing demand has
| brought the closing of one of the largest
mills, and others are considering.
tndf oh hut eli H.
| average decline in prices as combinations
still insist upon the highest prices of last
year, and the demand is naturally cur
| tailed. Quotations are deceptive because
lower prices are constantly made to secure
business. But with ore and coke combina-
lions demanding high figures. hesitation
is inevitable.
THE market in wheat has been weak
| The movement of corn continues very
large and prices have declined one cent for
cash. troublesome feature of the situa-
ton is the stringency In commercial loans,
not because of scarcity OF money, but be-
cause banks are disturbed by failures of
some Importance.
Failures for two weeks of March cover
liabilities of 1878, 397. against 81 372, All last
yea. Failures for the week were 2s1 in the
| United States, against 27s last year. and 10
| in Canada. against IS last year."
Bradstreet's says:
General trade throughout the United
| States for the first quarter of 1896 is disap-
| pointing. When the improvement I'm in
| dustrial and commercial lines between
March and September. 1895, is recalled. oc-
curing as II did two years after the panic
| of 1898, reason would seem to have been be-
| hind the confidence that the current cal
| endar year would bring general revival
| But the most favorable reports at this time
| are those which declare the volume OF busi-
ness only equal to In a few instances In
excess of the like total one year ago.