Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-15
THEIR T|NTS MOSTLY DARK
Those Eminent Word Painters.
Dun and BradStreet,
LAY THE BLACK ON THICK
But Now and Then, for Arts fleet, Put in
Bright BIZ Z
CANVASS SHOULD Y "47'S ''''" FRAME
There Is an oppressiI :. tonotony in the
General Effect ans = Perspective Is
Dispiriting-The etate of Trade
According to Each.
LAY THE BLACK ON THICK

New York. Aug. 14.-Bradstreet's to-
morrow will say:
The volume of business throughout the
country is practically unchanged. New
features do not point to an improvement
in prospects for fall business. Indus
tries generally continue quiet, with more
men idle than a week ago. The most sig
nificant feature was higher rates for
money early in the week and some diff
ficulty in obtaining time money. This
disappeared with the manifest reaction
against the free silver sentiment, which
followed the silver demonstration at New
York August IL.
Jobbers in woolens are meeting imme-
diate wants only. Receipts of new woods
exceed sales, and manufacturers prefer
to let holders carry the raw material.
Jobbers of dry goods report no out
look for an active fall demand. High
priced cotton strengthens the views Of
manufacturers, but does not sell goods.
Mercantile collections are difficult to
make at Charleston and at Atlanta they
are poor Jacksonville jobbers report
remittances slow, as do those at Birming-
iiam.
There is little or no demand for iron
or steel.
Manufacturers of hardware and jew
elry report business excessively dull.
Crop reports from some portions Of the
country are discouraging, while the veg
etable crop in Florida has been greatly
reduced by the drcuth. Crop conditions
in Alabama have fallen off within two
weeks, and the Kentucky tobacco out
turn has been reduced by the prolonged
drouth.
The brighter side of the picture Is
found in generally favorable crop condi-
tions at the SOUTH which have stimulat-
ed buying at Baltimore, Savannah, New
Orleans and in Texas. The early move
ment of cotton Is pointing to improved
mercantile collections. The financial
situation at New Orleans is relieved by
sugar bounty payments.
There are 25S business failures reported
throughout the United States this week,
compared with 269 last week. The in
crease as compared with the correspond
ing total one year ago Is SO.
Dun's Report.
New York, Aug. AR. G. Dun & Co.
will say tomorrow in their weekly review
of trade:
Failures for the week have been 29s in
the United States, against 1856 last year,
and thirty-six in Canada, against thirty
eight last year. An extraordinary spell
of deadly hot weather has affected trade
throughout the country and in the east
speculative feeling was somewhat affect
ed until Thursday by apprehension of
the possible influence of the Bryan meet
ing. With cooler weather there came
also on Thursday the perception that the
meeting would not affect business un-
favorably.
But other conditions were not stimulat-
ing. According to government reports
the crops have sustained serious in
juries Labor difficulties extend and the
closing of establishments for want of
work and the refusal of commercial loans
by banks checked operations in many
hra nch of industry and trade.
Iron production was reduced 20764 tons
weekly in July and has been further re-
duced since August l. while unsold
stocks increased 26192 tons in July. The
stoppage of q large share of the Con-
nellsville Coke works and of many lake
iron mines Is a fair indication that the
two combinations do not believe any
thing could be gained by reducing the
prices of materials and the main difficult
ty Is obviously the extreme narrowness
of demand for finished products, which Is
so small that most transactions are at
some concessions even from the current
low prices With Alabama No. offered
at $3.50 at Birmingham, equivalent to
$10.25 here, against $11.50 for northern
No. Q, the market is not large enough to
support prices of either.
The boot and shoe industry Is ap-
preaching the end of orders at hand and
gradual advances in the price asked tend
to the restriction of new orders. Leather
is scarcely changed In price. The woolen
manufacturer makes little change, with
not more than third of the machinery
now running, and the demand for goods
does not improve although prices or
some important grades have been turtner
reduced Nor has Improvement appeared
in cotton goods, although the curtail-
ment of production for some weeks has
been great.
1t is step toward recovery, not quite
pleasant. but sure, that merchandise inn
norris since July 1 are 18 per cent less,
while exports are is per cent more than
last year. 1t means depression of trade,
but also decrease of foreign indebted
ness.