The Portland daily press., 1896-01-25
Is the Distinguishing Feature Of
the Weeks Trade.
BRADSTREET FIN DS LITTLE I'm.
COURAGEMENT.
Some Favorable Trade Exceptions at the
south-sman Bank Clearings - A
Rather Better Prospect as Regards
Wheat and Cereals.

/ Wheat and Cereals
New York, January "a. .-Bradstreet' 8
tomorrow will say: An analysis of
special kilograms from the more impor-
tant business centres throughout the
country, shows considerable irregularity
in trade. the most favorable feature be-
Ing the tendency Of staple prices to ad
vance. The late Drop in iron and steel
Was one OF the shortest on record, the
restriction Of production Of pig iron and
advances for 1896 delivery of prices of
coke and lake ore, proved sufficient
stimulus to push quotations for Bessemer
pig and steel billets up 81 and 50 ton
at western centres. The impression pre-
walls that these prices are likely to be
maintatuned
Comparatively unfavorabls business
features are somewhat disappointing in
the character Of the opening of spring
trade in the leading staples and the small
totals Of bank clearings. Such centres
as Chicago and ST. Louis send reports
that the interior merchants have
been disappointed in the seasons bust
ness and are buying somewhat more spar-
ingly than expected. Many jobbers in
those cities report travellers for cloth
ing, dry goods, and hardware houses,
taking fair orders for spring delivery.
The most favorable reports regarding
the movement of merchandise, present
and prospective, are from Baltimore
Wnere orders are being received freely,
and the prospect for spring trade are
bright; also from Charleston, where
almost all the leading
JOBBERS REPORT IMPROVEMENT
in business. An increased activity
in leading money markets is noticeable
at Providence and Boston, where COM
mercial paper is being more closely
scanned. AT the large western centers
money is easier, with lower rates for ex-
change on New York.
On the Pacific coast, Tacoma reports
the price OF wheat relat lively higher than
at Chicago, owing to the demand from
South Africa, whence also come orders
for lumber. There is no interest attach
ing to the announcement that ton car
loads OF Mobile cotton ara at Tacoma
awaiting shipment to Yokohama.
The volume Of general trade has in
creased at Seattle and business is fairly
active in San Francisco, where the
stocks of wool are low.
u Prices are advanced for wheat -four,
Indian corn and oats, and upward
movement Of pork continues.
A SCARCITY OF CUBAN SUGAR
and promise of large demand for Euro
pesn supplies. appear behind tnA advance
In sugar Higher prices for cotton are
based on better export demand and
less warlike indications abroad, and the
impression that the size of the domestic
crop is overesuimated in some instances.
While domestic woods are UNCHANGED.
foreign wools are held five per cent
higher owing to the demand for them
abroad. Print cloths are firm and un-
changed as are the quotations. for lum-
Der. lard and coffee. Leather, petroleum
and copper are lower.
raises the question whether the begin
ming of the end fol- the long period of de-
preston of cereal prices has oome
Supplies of wheat for leading importing
markets are now controlled by Russia
and the United States.
The Indias as well as the Argentines,
ability to ship, is much restricted COM
r P0ASN w AoAA cAAo PAoN yOehAc
AUSTRALIA LEFT THELIST
OF exporters when she began to import
wheat from San Francisco recently. Do
nestle wheat stocks are larger than the
earlier official and trade estimates. The
export demand is 30 greatly increased
that the bulls are counting on higher
prices.
The total exports of wheat (flour in
oluded as wheat), from both coasts of the
United States this week was 8, ,S4S. 900
bushels, compared with 2,S4O, 600 in the
week year ago. Exports of Indian corn
aggregate 8, 192, 900 bushels this week.
more than four times the quantity sent
abroad in the corresponding week year
ago, New Orleans alone reported l, III, 900
bushels of Indian corn this week.
THE TOTAL BANK CLEARINGS
throughout the United States are $780,
0e0, 600 this week, decrease of per
cent from the preceding week, and an in
crease OF nearly z per cent compared with
the corresponding week of January last
year.
The failures in the United States this
week number 341 against 312 year ago.