The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-03-07
tably at Chicago where they are more
complained of than for the year past.
DISTRIBUTION OF MERCHANDISE.

~
DISTRIBUTION OF MERCHANDISE.
The distribution of general merchan
disc is fairly satisfactory at the south
and favorably regarded east and north.
Relatively the most active demand is
prevalent in the territory of which Chi
cago, ST. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha, ST.
Paul and Minneapolis are the leading
supply centres. Rains in Oklahoma and
snow in Kansas have stimulated trade,
as has the free movement of Indian corn
from first hands in Nebraska. Travellers
report sales throughout the South Allan
tic coast and Gulf states satisfactory.
They are relatively most favorable. i
THE SOUTHERN TRADE.
Southern trade reports from Jackson
vile and Galveston says general business
is quiet, and collections unsatisfactory.
The extreme cold on the Pacific coast
had the usual unfavorable influence,
particularly in " ashington and Oregon,
fruit having been hurt in the former
st ate. Tacoma's February exports are
declared the heaviest in the story of that
port. Trade on the Pacific coast while
relatively good on the whole, is smaller
than q week ago.
PRICE MOVEMENT.
Price movement is not wholly fayora-
BILE to the producer. There are notew orthy
advances on nails and iron beams and
even steel billets at Chicago, zinc, teas,
and coffee. The prices of wheat, -four,
pork, sugar remain unchanged. The
weeks Gle arings are significant The
total for the country for the six business
days ending March five is 81, 06 a,000 an
increase or sixteen per cent over last
week, six per cent over the correspond
ing week one year ago, IL per cent more
than for the first week of March, 1894, 18
per cent less than in the like week of
1898. 16 per cent less than th correspond
ing total in 1892, and half of one per cent
larger than the total in thu first week of
March, 1891.
THE BANK CLEARINGS.
The February bank olesrings reflect the
activity at the banks as a result of the
bond issue and inclusion of one more
business day in February except in sew
eral states. The increases over last year
are more numerous than for months
Poocs AA0 POAOOAothS5O VI gain WIS IuOT6
numerous than for months past The
percentage of gain in the aggregate for
February is larger than for January.
The total February clearings for sixty
eight cities aggregate o., 0S8, 1856, 9o5, a
decrease from the January total this year
of 1O.S per cent. andsan increase over the
February total for 1899 of 20. 3 per cent.
compared with February 1898, just be-
fore the panic. The decrease last month
is 10 per cent. The February gain at
New York over last year is az per CO Mt.
Outside of New York the gain is less
than 12 per cent.
Among the large cities showing gains
are Minneapolis 5s per cant, New Or
leans 10, Cleveland 81, Baltimore 49,
The heaviest February decrease this year
among the large cities is reported by
Cincinnati, s.3 per cent.
THE FAILURES.
The failures throughout the country
number $40 this week, against 252 for
the corresponding week year ago The
exports of wheat flour included as
Safes this week was 2, 4O7, 900 bushels
against 6,272, 200 for the first week of
March, 1895; exports of Indian corn,
.. ~, wv pusHels bulS Week, against 49o,
600 for the corresponding week year
age.
The falling off in the worlds supp ly
of available wheat during February,
about six million bushels, appears disap-
pointing, as the February decrease for
1895 was nine million bushels. It will
be recalled in the corresponding month
of 1894 that the American, Canadian
and European "afoat" stocks increase
was 180 600 hushe1s
In the United States and Canada, both
oasts, the February decrease of avail
able wheat supplies was 4, 467, 600 bushels
against a decrease of 9, 9,S49. 600 in Febru-
ary of last year and 8. 587, 900 in February,
1894.