The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-03-21
THE VOLUME OF TRADE
Business Throughout the Country For the
First Quarter Of This Year Disappointing.
THE REPORTS OF BRAOsTREEr AND DUN.
Fhe Winters Iobbing BUSINESS tn
staple Lincs Unsut is factory
Advance In Price OF Cotton-Ths
Harriet in whent weak and staa.
nnnt-small Enterprises Fair.

morrow will say:
General trade throughout the country
Tor the first quarter OF 1896 is dlsap-
pointing. The most favorable reports at
this time are those which declare the vol
ume Of business only equal 10 In Il few
instances In excess OF the like period one
year ago.
The fact that interior merchants are
buying more freely In Missouri, Kansas
Oklahoma and parts of Nebraska, where
the snow and rain have prepared the
SOIL Tor the crops. constitutes almost the
one favorable announcement for the
week. In almost all other parts of the
country east of the Mississippi, stormy
weather has tended to check the volume
of business and still further restrict mer-
camille collections, which have now been
exceptionally slow for more than n
month. The winters jobblnG business
in staple lines, with few exceptions. was
unsatisfactory. The prolonged falling
on In demand In the iron and steel, cot
ton woollrn, and shoe industries pre-
sents no sign Of early Improvement. AS
a consequence, hides, leather. and shoes
are all weaker-in some Instances lower
Ginghams and print cloths have sold
for less money with the week, the de-
mand for American worllen goods re-
mains In marked contrast to the active
request for like goods Of foreign make
ana quotations for some grades of iron
are lower than last week with no pros
pect for immediate Improvement Whole
sale trade In mems wear. including clo-
thing. Is depressed by heavy stocks car
red over. and low quotations for domes-
tic wool have sent some abroad
The unusually large number of busi-
ness failures taking place during the
first quarter of the wear promises m
make record.
The total for the curernt week through
out the country is 800. or eighteen more
than last week
While distribution of merchandise at
the Northwest IS not as active as a few
weeks aso, II is of larger volume than a
year ago. country bankers In that and
IN regions further South hare been
Withdrawing balances. but Northws $: :t.rn
JonDers continue confident of the rev!y-
al OF The country demand General bust
ness at the South remains unchanged.
IN addition 10 reactions noted prices
Tor wheat. -four. pork, and lard are
lower, while those for Indian corn sussr
Doih raw and refined. cotton and for
crude anu refined petroleum. are higher
me continued advance in prices OF cot.
ton during fortnight. indicates that
expectations of a large crop OF cotton
mas tailed to attract attention from the
comparative shortage of present
Dun's Staiciuents of Affairs.
Failures for two weeks OF March
cower liabilities or Sd,7a".397. AGAINST
S',3i24Il last year. Failures for ,bn
elk Were 26o in the United States
against rs last year, and 20 in Canada
aSi.ns. 81 last year
There is better business in small in
dus'ries and thee has been u squeez-
ing of short sellers in cotton. But III.
general tendency Of industries ana
PTS l,', Is no' encouraging. and those
VINO were most hGpetui month ago
are sun waiting, not SO hopefully for
The expected recovery. DISTINCTIONS 20
recovery are not TO be sought primarily
In the investment or the money market.
but i'll The industrial reaction after the
unnatural expansion of demand ana
prices last year
a sharp decline in prices of cocton
goods is the comment; OF mills on ris-
ing cotton. The accumulation of goods
In the face Of slack and rapidly dimin-
ishing demand has brought the closing
of one of the largest mills. and Others
are considering. The iron Industry
shows but slight average decline in
prices of last year. and the demand is
naturally curtailed. Quotations are de-
ceptivc because lower prices are con
stautly made to secure business But
with ore and coke combinations de-
manding high lgures hesitation is in
evitable.
Speculation in cotton has caught the
short sellers in trouble and Jus. because
they thought prices must so lower.
the shorts are forced 20 pull them up.
Such rise may so on without regard
To supply or demand but neither the
Government report of last week nor the
fall in goods and closing Of mills. give
reason to expect more than a specula-
tive rise. The market in wheat has
been weak, though rather siaSnant,
but the weight OF facts is felt. as West
ern receipts have been heavy.