The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-02-22
Bradsireet's Agency and Dun & Co., Aotsl3
Some Very Favorable Influences.
NO RADICAL IMPROVEMENT is SHOWN
Country Merchants Are Asking ExI
iensiOns-noot nntl Shoe Manurrc,
tnrers Report an Extensive Nc.
mnnd- Bcssemcr Pig Iron Iowa
cr ut Pittsburg.

New York, Feb. 2i.-Bradstreet's 70,
morrow will say:
While no radical Improvement has ap.;
pearcd In the general trade situation.
NOR" favorable Influences are reporteti
imam for some weeks. Advices i from
icSas are that country merchants are
asking extensions and reports from 1eadsY
inG cities South are that the recent re1a.
tiVeiy favorable statement Of trade is
married by less active demand In ALMOST &
all lines. No Improvement is shown Il, 4
demand for cotton and woolen goods. q
manufactures of each continuing 10 find
cause for complaint.
The record of declining quotations be-
gan last week Is continued for some
varieties of cotton, owing to the reaction
III the price of cotton. in the tendency of
quotations of wool to decline and lower
prices for wheat corn, oats
pork, lard and petroleum. Iron and
Steel IN moderate demand. nre steady,
with request for rails relatively most en-
couraging, and there is no change in
quotations for lumber or for coal The
conspicuous advances are on coffee and
sugar, although leather is firm after
The advance for hides II week ago
Among the industrials. boots and shoes
ana manufacturers of leather are con-
spicuous for reporting relatively the,
most active demand. and Pittsburg ana
baltimore jobbers Of general merchan-
disc continues previous reports OF a sat!
isfactory spring business. Hardly lesa
favorable than the Improvement in bank
clearinEs Is the sudden drop in the to-
tai number of business failures through
out the country, that for the week be-
ing 2I6 against 3Sl last week. and S21
In the corresponding week one year ago.
New York, Feb. 2l.-R. G. Dun &c Co q
In their, Weekly Review OF Trade, will
say: Std[gd
Liabilities In failures during the two
weeks of February weree S7.62S. 1885,
against s5.550,5S6 last year. Mandfac4;
turing liabilities were S3.1G3, 986. against
sl.592,3l9 last year. while trnd!f,Es were ;tss
&Si2.O53. ngihst s3.353O19 lastEs YEAR
Failures for the week have been 280 In
The United States. against 302 last year.
and b6 In Canada. against &c last yearEIS
The restoration Of the Treasury re-
serve has been effected with remarka blys
little monetary disturbance. though
strlngency In money markets, .greaterS
elsewhere than here, and greater in CONF
mcrcial than In other loans. has somesS
what retarded business. The rapid riss;
III me price of bonds strengthens public
confidence. Prompt action OF the House
on the silver bill has helped to increase
foreign confidence in American securi.j
ties. NJ
Prices OF commodities as a whole ara
| now At the lowest average ever known,
though only half Of one per cent. below
| the average Of September 3. 1895. Hides, b
leather and their products. textile goodsS
and IRON products have declined nuchS
since that date, and meats also are
lower. 81
Almost all manufactured products de-t
cline continues. though in some classess
| quotations are so irregular that tho
change cannot be accurately mea asured.s
3cssemer pig iron and grey forge are
| lower at Pittsburg, and structurals
beams and angles have been reduced to-
secure business, but new orders for
products are comparatively small, ana
some furnaces In that region have been
banked Though business is less than
was expected at Chicago. II is increased
for materials for cars and car wheels
and excellent In plates. The cast pSlSe
business is active here. but little Is dos
ing in rails.
Net much increase OF buving answers
TO these reductions, and Of some goodes
accumulated stocks are quite large In
textile goods.
The volume of domestic trade reflected5
by clearings is 33.7 per cent larger than
last year. Railroad earnings in FebruSf
AIRY thus far are 1876 per cent lower than
for last year. Stocks weakened until,
Thursday, then advanced.
Exports of products in two weeks ot
February have been z per cent. larger
than last year. with prospect Of inSs
crease in grain, though cotton bills arsE
growing fewer. Imports no longer show
the increase formerly observed, but for
| two weeks have been 1873 per cent. lower
than last year.