Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-02-21
.RETARDS TRADE.
Olosenoss of Money and Congress
sional Inaction Hinder Business.
improvement, However, Is Seen in
Some Localities-The Business
Failures for One Week.

New York, Feb. 15.-R. G. Dun & Co.,
in their weekly review of trade, say:
"The weather still binders business. also
continued closeness of money and pro-
longed inaction of congress: but confidence
Increases. There is a little more demand
for some manufactured products. Exports
improve with yielding prices OF staples. and
for the week from New York exceed last
years 90 per cent. while imports have in
creased 10 per cent Pig iron at the east
and at Chicago has not advanced South
crn competition continues at prices so low
that several Alabama furnaces have
stopped. but Ressemer is a shade lower at
Pittsburgh. The demand for plates. sheets
and wire nails continues fairly good, and
there are more orders for railroad cars and
bar iron at Chicago. but no further sales
Of rails appeared.
THE demand for boots and shoes is still
disappointing. Some makers get good or
ders for women's light shoes. but others
scarcely any, and Boston shipments thus
| far are q per cent. less than last year.
Textile work shows little change, though
the cut in print cloths and general conccs-
sions In brown and bleached staples aver
aging for the whole list quite 6 per cent.
| since January l, induced more buying,
which the known accumulation of goods
ahead of demand has hindered Many
mills are reporting great profits last year
from the rise in cotton. but the prospect Of
larger crop this year does not promise
| repetition of such gains
Produce markets have tended down
| ward mainly because supplies exceeded ex-
| pectations. Wheat has declined y cent.
| Corn is a shade lower and both pork and
| lard little l3wer Cotton receipts at this
season never large still indicate supply
| for the current crop year, including stocks
| brought over, much in excess of the world s
| needs. so that the prospect of Increased
| acreage has the more power 10 depress
| prices. and spot cotton has declined an
| eighth for the week. Exports in January
| were SS.65S,5G5 less than last year, though
| prices were is per cent higher
Failures for the first week of February
| were 1903, $50, against $2.9G9,S90 last year.
| Manufacturing We're S2,S72,253 against
| S729,"lS last year, and Sl,59i,C72 in 1894, ard
trading We're $1.626, 427, against s193i, s94 asst
week have been 32l in the United States.
against go last year. and 81 in Canada
against 81 last year."
| Bradstree:'s Report.
Bradstreet's says:
1.-THE general business situation through
| out the country does not meet anticipa-
| tions, and except at a few cties-Balti-
| more and Pittsburgh, in the east, Chicago
| St. Louis ana Omaha, III the west, Calves
| ton, Chattanooga and Atlanta, in the south
| remains dull for the season, in most in.
| stances disappointingly SO. Improvement
| in demand and prices Is confined to hides
leather and boots and Shoes. which are
| conspicuous in the shors list of staples
| for which prices are higher. Features oil
the situation are those resulting from un
| favorable weather east and in the centra
| west, reaction in prices of iron and steel
| further complaints by wooden manufac.
| lures, an outlook for more idle wooler
machinery. a smaller total of bank clear
| ings. continued stiffness, maintenance OF
| high rates for lcaaS Notwithstanding the
| favorable differences drawn from the heavy
oversubscription to the government bond
issue and restricted production of pis
::ac.''