The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-04-11
The BUSINESS OUTLOOK.
tFrom Bradstreet,g estate of Trade,

(Ffom Bradstreet's .State of Trade" &
While there is no general increase in bust
ness there are several encouraging features.
Ffst, the advance in prices of -four, wheat,
corn. oats. pork and sugar, together with that
for steel biIlets and beams ana other iron
and steel products. including No. 2 foundry
pig, and for tinplates. The advance in wheat
mas continued SO much longer than expected
that the trade are gain discussing the likeli-
mood of this being the beginning of the long
advance for cereals which they believe must
come after the extreme depression of the past
few years. Unfayorbie crop reports from CEN
tral western States. confirmation of previous
saortcrop reports from Argentine and Aus
tralia, small supplies in Europe and afloat
therefor, bit, above all, a revival of specu-
fatiSe interest in wheat, are underneath cereal
prices. Adrices to .Bradstreets,' from Bue-
nos .Ayres, explain the lack of an available
supply of wheat at Argentine ports as due
to the failure of the wheat CROP
Total earnings of lis railroad companies for
March are $50, sos, 900, an increase of as per
cent. over a year ago. In January and Feb
ruary the gains over the year before were.
respectively, n,3 and 1871 Per cent. Increases
in March outnnlnber decreases considerably,
t but the volume and number of large increases
show decreases. : For three months the earns
ings of l5 companies exceed those of a year
ago by SO per cent, following a decrease OF
5 per cent, in March a year ago from the like
month nj 1884.
Brightsf and more seasonabie weather east.
and needed rains in Missouri, Kansas and Ne
hraska, have tended to stimulate the belated
demand for general merchandise. Renewed
activity is also shown by lumber, now that
T. AAiS t1+etit NN1cCA - = = tAAN& ~ 1t4-N
oils, glass and other structural materials, for
like reasons.
Demand for wool is smaller-has almost dis
appeared. Stocks of territory woods are I'M
usually heavy, and a large proportion of
them will have to be carried over. Trade in
the raw staple is at a stahdstilL. Dry goods
continue depressed. shirtings and other cot
ton goods refusing to move freely, notwith-
standing cuts in prices Leather is also lower,
because of lower quotations. The list of
notable price reactions also includes those
for wool and petroleum., while cotton, print
cloths. and coffee prices are substantially un-
changed. Business failures in the United
States this week number 2ai; compared with
two years ago, and with 1856 in the first week
Of April, 1893.
Total bank clearings, aggregate 1925, 0Oo, 900
Stacking off in business, which has been 50
conspicuous. The decrease as compared with
with the week one year ago nearly 3 per
cent. The corresponding week in 1894 was
one Of extreme depression, and this weeks
total ~clearings show an increase compared
with it Of 7 per cent. But when compars
sans are made with like weeks in preceding
ssaf' s as cantrsst edef With i ass sn nearly 81 ii p i'sr
cent. with 1893. and Y per cent, as compared
with the week in 1888.
continues dull and professional. The fear of
adverse developments in the Cuban situation
caused bear selling and recessions in prices,
/ the market, There is no tendency to lfqui-
date, but the public and the foreign element
are both out Of the market, and there is
Manipulation in the industrials has been sas-
nended in view of the general speculative halt
/ Foreign exchange is slightly lower at 4sSM 70
1 4.Sa for demand sterling. The shipment Of ST.
$500 gold to Germany this week is called
q special transaction
From r. G. Dun & Co.'s weekly Review"
The volume of business has not on the
whole increased. nor have prices appreciably
all commodities was the lowest ever known In
this country. Bread-stuffs and iron products
4 have risen slightly, but some other articles
have declined, and the root Of the matter is
that demand for CONSUMPTION is still below
expectations. The number Of hands EN-
pIoyed has baen slightly lessened by strike
In some establishments and by stoppage or
reduction Of force in others. hut the chanse
during the past week has not been relatively
important. The weather has net favored ac-
five distribution of spring goods. and un-
certainty as to continued employment affects
the purchases of hands in r large number OF
establishments q. the other hand. exports
Of 81. $780, 900 Of gold 70 GERMANY hsr Russia
not now regarded as seriously influencing
bu siness.
and frosts ct the West would appear from
siderable. Rerrarkahlw low estifnates 81
Gen. aias and n MI whiIs there may IA ss be ths customsry
exaggeration, there has evidently been muc7,
actual loss. which tends at present e lessen
ing districts. But the reports are not more
gloomy thar, q year ago. and the quantity OF
August has been 16ss III .5s4 bushels, against
1870 $50 to the same date last year.
Stocks have been extremely dull, and yet
railroad frame IS Eeavy, east bound from
Chicago Szs0e4 tons last week against 80, 8la
last year and ssss Z l sss While sdalIs west bound
creasing, Reports Of ~earninFs have not I'M
praved. the March. statement covering prac-
ir1sass a. Ia per cent over last ysar, bnt