Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-04-07
EFFECT OF SPRING.
Its Advent Creates an Improvement
in Business.
Apprehensions of Foreign or Finan-
cial Difficulties Now Scarce
ly Felt.

New York, April Ar. G. Dun 81
Co.. in their weekly review of trade say:
1.-THE improvement expected with spring
weather begins though in some branches
Of business scarcely visible. AS conSum-
e1s make spring purchases they must
lessen stock and compel less buying. The
stocks taken in advance of consumers de-
mands last summer have been distributed
far more slowly than was expected. but
months of waiting have helped to lessen
the load which 1t is hoped spring buying
will clear away. Apprehensions of for
eign or financial difficulties have hindered.
but are now scarcely felt. Gold exports
are rumored, but at this season are SO far
natural that they have no such power to
cause alarm as they had in winter. The
gigantic steel combination Is expected to
have great influence in sustaining mar
kets and stimulating confidence, ana
though such operations often miss the sue
cess they seek, they rarely fail to kindlo
speculative buying for time.
Woolen manufacture does not gain in
ORDERS and a large part of the machinery
Is stopped. Prices of wool have fallen ~
in advance of orders, as reductions in
prices have failed as yet to stimulate buy
ing. Speculation in products has been
tame. Wheat has slightly advanced, and
IL later reports of injury from extensive
frosts and storms prove correct, will adj
vance more. though western receipts con-
tinue nearly 80 per cent. larger than last
year. Corn exports are large and receipts
also heavy, but pork has declined rs cents
per barrel. Speculation in stocks has not
been active, though railroads average
nearly one dollar per share higher than
last week. The regular quarterly state
nent of failures shows 4,031 with liabili-
ties Of $57, 1876, against 1892 last year,
with liabilities of s47.s13.6s3''
As Viewed by Bradstreet.
Bradstreet's says:
Stormy weather at the northwest con-
tinued restriction of distribution of staple
merchandise, and unsatisfactory merce n
tile collections continued to be the leading
characteristics of general trade. Favor
able features are reports that at Balti-
moro the quarters general trade has been
slight increase in the volume of business
at Pittsburgh: that at Kansas City distri-
button of general merchandise is fair.
1.-THE first quarter of 1896 presents the
largest list of actual commercial and In
dustrial failures in business in the United
States. those in which liabilities exceed
assets, ever reported for a like period.
is 4,512. or 700 more than In the like portion
of 1895: SAB more than in 1894. and 1,442
more than In the first quarter of 1928.
This is an increase of IS. II and AZ per-
cent. respectively. The largest preceding
like total, 1850. was reported in 1855. Liza
bilities Of these failing this year amount TO
$62,51S.000. an increase of 80 per cent. rs
compared with year ago, q per cent as
compared with the first quarter of 1891,
and so per cent. as contrasteG with three
years ago. Business failures In Canada
number 781 for the last quarter, against
5S1 in the first quarter Of 1895, with total
liabilities of 200, against 1929 600 last