Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1896-12-28
DUN'S REPORT.
Only Moderate Commercial Fail
ures for the Month.
Holiday Trade in Articles of Medium
Grade Has Been Fair.
Price of Wheat n Little Stronger-Prodoc
tion of Coke Increased-A Decrease in
Number of Failures Manufacturers
Have More Wool Than orders.

New YORK, Dec. 25.--R. G.. Dun & Co.
will say Friday in their weekly review
of trade:
The failure of two important banks,
the second in size of business in Chi
cago, and the oldest at st. Paul, with
some others dependent on them, closes
not favorably month which promised
to end with only moderate commercial
disasters. 1t does not lessen the effect of
these failures that one was caused by
enormous loans in aid of an electric
railway and other concerns in unsafe
able real estate. Since several thou
sand business men and depositors are
for the time embarrassed as much as
the spectators that caused the trouble,
the break down is the reverse of hope
full at present, although it comes when
money markets are well supplied and
when no serious effect in business is
to be apprehended. Other important
events of the week are the failure
of the billet and railroad pools to find
basis for agreement and the some
what general discharge of hands or
reduction of wages in the shoe manu-
facture. The holiday trade has been
fair, but generally in articles of me-
dium grade. The reports of earnings
are not cheering, and the aggregate
for December thus far has been As
per cent. less than last year, the gran
ger and other western roads showing
most decrease
The fall in steel billits from over
$50 to about SIG at Pittsburgh, and in
steel rails from S2S net for mills to S25,
less brokers' commissions, produces so
great change in other prices and con-
ditions of business that the meeting
held here this week for the purpose
of reviving pools and fixing prices in
huenced operations throughout the
country. No agreement was reported
and meanwhile contracts have been
made covering the wants of most pro-
ducers for three months and some for
the whole of the year 1897. and it is
said that such large contracts have
been made at Sl5 at Pittsburgh and
$3.50 at the east. Bessemer pig has
declined to S11. Is, and gray forge to
50 65 at Pittsburgh, while bar and other
finished products remain unchanged,
though 100, 900 bundles of cotton ties
have been contracted for at 60 cents
per bundle The production of coke
increases rapidly, 9,6G0 ovens being in
blast, with an output of 81, lis tons for
the week. Scarcely any business has
been done in the miner metals and
11.37 is quoted for lake copper, 1885
for tin and 3.O5 for lead In the cotton
manufacture there is further decline
in, Icn cfa nd +nly h1-
northern spinners are Disappointing
ly light. Print cloths accumulate
and do not advance. Raw cotton
comes forward just as it did in
other years when official and other
stories of injury ended in great crops.
Sales of wool are restricted by the
general conviction that prices asked
by interior holders can not be realized
and there is considerable disposition
to unload speculative purchases at sea-
board markets. Most manufacturers
have more wool than they have orders,
and others meet as yet no satisfac-
tory demand for goods Sales of wool
we're only 1858, 900 pounds at the three
chief markets. against 1924, 300 for the
same week last year.
Wheat has grown a little stronger,
in spite of the disturbance of the Chi
cago market. Exports have been
1,471, ,443 bushels, flour included, for
five days, and $500, 5s7 for four weeks,
against S,527, ,959 for the same weeks
last year, while from the Pacific ports
the increase has been large Western
receipts are still small, amounting to
s, 445, 631 bushels in three weeks of the
month, against 14,344, $50 last year.
The volume of business. all branches
considered, is not large Payments
through clearing houses have been for
the week % per cent. less than last
| year, and for the month thus far the
daily average is 9.S per cent. less than
last year. Failures for the week have
been 207 in the United States, against
322 last year, and A in Canada against
40 last year.
A IanhGnma