The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-02-22
DUN'S TRADE REVIEW,

Showing Results for the Past Week, and
Prospects for the Week to Come-Weath-
err. Closeness of Money and Prolonged
Insction of Congess, Combin to Retard
Revival of Business.
NEW YORK, Feb 15.-R. G. Dun & Co.
Say to-day:
Failures for the first week of Febru-
airy were S4,079, $50, against 81, 909, $50
last year; manufacturing S2,372,253,
against S729, 34s last year and S1.594,-
or In 1890. and trading s1,626,427,
against 81, 934, 1914 last year and S2,4S5,-
SIS in 1894. Failures for the week
have been 321 in the United States
against go last year, and 81 in Canada
against 81 last year.
The weather still binders business,
also continued closeness of money and
prolonged inaction of congress; but
confidence increases. There is a little
demand for some manufactured prod
acts. Exports improve with yielding
prices of staples and for the week FROM
New York exceed last years 50 per
can't, while imports have increased Is
per cent
Pig iron at the east and at Chicago
has not advanced. Southern competi-
ton continues at prices solow that sew
eral Alabama furnaces have stopped,
but Bessemer is 4 shade lower at Pitts
burgh. The demand for plates, sheets
and wire nails continues fairly good,
and there are more orders for railroad
ears and bar iron at Chicago, but no
further sales of rails appeared, and the
demand for finished products keeps
but about 20 per cent. of the capacity
employed.
The coke output is again much re-
duced. Copper is a shade firmer, while
tin ard lead are not active and I'M
changed.
The demand for boots and shoes is
still disappointing. Some makers get
good orders Tor women's light shoes,
but others scarcely any; and Boston
shipments thus far are II per cent. less
than last year.
Textile work shows little change,
though the cut in print cloths and
general concessions in brown and
blcached staples, averaging for the
whole list quite six per cent. since
January l, induced more buying,
which the known accumulation of
goods ahead OF demand has hindered.
New York mills are reporting great
profits last year from the rise of cot
ton, but the prospect of 4 larger crop
this year does not promise Il repetition
of such gains. Though goods still
average 12.T per cent. above their low
est point q year ago, cotton is now A
per cent, higher than it was then.
Sales of wool have been small for
two weeks of February, but higher
prices abroad, sustained by heavy ship
ments of goods to this country, incline
holders of wool here to make no con-
cessions, so that manufacturers have
more difficulty in meeting COMPETE
ton.
Produce markets have tended down
ward mainly because supplies exceeded
expectations. Wheat has declined
three-quarters of a cent: corn is shade
lower. and both pork and lard a little
lower. Cotton receipts. at this season
never large, still indicate a sup
ply for the current crop year,
including stocks brought over, much
in excess of the worlds needs, so that
the prospect of increased acreage has
the more power to depress prices, and
spot cotton has declined an eighth for
the week. Exports in January were
ss.653,5G5 less than last year, though
prices We're IS per cent. higher.
Stocks were first a little depressed by
heavy realizing since the sale of bonds,
and the money market has not yet fully
ettled. The business of railroads is
large enough to justify better results.
Earnings for the first week of Febru-
airy were DC per cent. larger than last
year, and January reports are the best
since September, showing los per cent,
over last year.