The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-10-24
DUN's COMMERCIAL REVIEW.

a Conservative Timldity and the Oner OF
Foreign Bankers to Insure Against u
Premium on Gold, At Present Existing
the Most Powerful Influence on Bust.
ness-rhe Heavy Influx of Gold the Re-
suit of Increased Exports and Decreased
Imports.
NEW YORK, Oct. 17.-R. G. Dun & Co.
in their weekly review of trade say,
Gold commands a small premium.
The most powerful force in business
at present is a conservative timidity
and the foreign bankers who have
been Offering for a small percentage
to insure people against a premium on
gold until December have made an
easy and sure profit out of prevalent
apprehensions. From Kansas, Ne.
braska and other states were the sill.
yer agitation is said to be strong; come
orders by many bankers and business
men to get them gold at a small pre-
MUM, and there has also been some
demand for boarding from individuals
in other states who are afraid even of
their w best judgment. One COM
mercial change, which more than any
OCllCI uSulC DCIlCT UuSlutSS III LlS
near future, is the excess of merchan.
disc exports over imports.
In two weeks of October the ex-
ports from New York have increased
0.6 per cent, against 81. . in Septem-
Der, while imports have decreased "a
per cent, against 35.2 in September.
Continued shipments of gold from Eu-
rope, not including 81, O0O, 600 from
Australia, now amount to $50. $50, 600
since the movement began, of which
So, 250,0 900 has already arrived, and
have not been arrested by measures
taken by the great European banks.
The heavy movement of grain is the
cornerstone. After an increase of S.
$685. in exports of breadstuffs in
September, there have been shipped
during the past week from Atlantic
ports alone 2,134,774 bushels, flour in
cluded, and 4 ,2O3, S45 i'll two weeks of
October, against 3,5lO,271 bushels last
year.. A more important fact is that
all available grain freights have been
engaged for months ahead here and
on the Pacific coast. The minister of
agriculture in India stated in council
on Thursday that distress was ex-
pected in a large part of India as the
result of d~roughts. A high official of
Russia, now in this country, confirms
accounts of shortness in the Russian
yield. Thus estimates that Europe
will fall 100, 900, 600 bushels short of
last year in supply of wheat are
strongly supported, and while depart
ment estimates of yield in this coun-
try are not credited, there is every
reason to expect a remarkable foreign
demand. Wheat has advanced "A
cents for the week.
Boot and shoe makers get very mar
row orders at old prices, or an ad.
vance less than II per cent.
Difficulties threaten the iron manu-.
facturers, for pig is higher. Bessemer
at Sll.5O and gray forge at 50. rs at
Pittsburgh, while plates, angles and
beams are weaker, and various combi-
nations hold prices only by leaving
outside competitors to take the mar
ket as far as they can. Steel bars arc
largely sold at one cent, while IL is
demanded for iron. All the nails that
S"h ONNH - SOiNA NS ASS1
than the ASSOCIATION asks. Billets are
still sold for less than the pool price,
and its shipments in September aggre-
gated only Sc, 600 tons, mainly CT sheet
and tin plate bars, and the demand for
rails is growing small.
Wool is stronger with continued
speculative buying, and sales at east
ern markets have been IA $50, 800
pounds for two weeks, against Fl, 2O9,-
700 last year, and Is, 7O2, 500 in 1892,
but consigned wool has peer mostly
withdrawn until after the election.
No gain is at present possible in goods,
and though the number of mills start
ing for the week is 10, against seven
stopping, much of the work lone is in
anticipation of a better demand than
now exists.
Failures for the week have beer 32S
in the United States, against 263 last
year, and 40 in Canada, agains 46 last
wear