The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-19
FUTURE IS SMOKY
GOOD REASON WHY BUSINESS Is
STILL HESITATIEG.

Conditions Favor Improvement, and Even
Where There is No Advance There Is at
Least a Holding On, But it VIII Take
the Election Returns to Clear the Hori-
zon-Maine is All Right Far as 1t
Goes But the Commercial World Has
Eyes Only for the West and soufh-Re-
view of the Week.
New York, Sept. 1S.-R. G. Dun &
CO.'S weekly review of trade tomorrow
will say:
There is still no distinct Improvement
n business, although conditions favor
l. Confidence slowly rises, speculative
,I1ying of materials for future use con-
anues, imports of gold do not cease and
the Bank of England has not tried 10
check them by a further advance IN
rates as the weight Of the demand non"
,alls upon France. But an enormous
business is held back until the future
s more clear.
Names majority had no SUCH inf1u-
,nce as was anticipated from verdict
,ess emphatic. To many minds nothing
she eastern states can do in a contest
represented as sectional gives sufilclent
assurance how the western and South
western states may decide.
In COTTON, hides, wool and pig iron,
puying that is speculative in character
marks the most business. The resump-
ton OF work by a good part Of the FAN
River cotton mills and advances in
some kinds Of cotton goods helped TO
raise the prices Of middling uplands to
s7s cents again, though realizing sent
Vt down to IL cents.
Wheat has also risen rs cents, al
though western receipts OF 6,62S, $50
bushels exceed last years, and in three
weeks have been 1855, SOS bushels.
against 1871, $50 last year. Helped by
purchases at present low prices, At
tantic exports were 1921 ,S19 bushels,
-four included as wheat, and for three
weeks, 5,796,S14, against 3,S71,298 last
year. Corn has scarcely advanced, as
western receipts are still as large as a
year ago, with exports smaller.
The one industry showing increase OF
working force IS the cotton nlanufac-
ture. restriction OF the output having
secured more healthy demand for some
goods. Most of the mills have started
or are about TO start, though embarTsss-
market Prices of staple goods have
advanced SO greatly that the average
Of representative quotations Is 6.76 per
cent higher than in the first week OF
August No such improvement is seen
In WoOlergs, but the speculative buying
nf wool, notably at Boston, has raised
sales to 7.T13,700 pounds for the past
three weeks against II, 1873, 470 last year
and p .572, 400 in 1892.
There has been a fair week IN dress
goods and better demand for printing
rl1.l1s. but the heavy failure of Phila-
ti.5lpf:a firm tends TO restrict opera
tons
The iron and steel manufacture Is still
waiting for business, with nearly half
It's producing capacity idle, but hopeful
ness and the speculative buying Of pig
iron suStsins prices Sales said TO
amount to ., 900 tons have been made of
Alabama iron for shipment to England,
but the home demand does not enlarge
at all and the various associations still
hold combination prices, though the de-
nrand is remarkably slender. The coke
output is less than $4,000 tons weekly.
Failures for the past week have been
81 in tina United States. against 213 last
year, and 80 in Canada, against 80 last
year.
BRADSTREETS REVIEW.
New York. Sept. 1S.-Bradstreet's to-
morrow will says:
The moderate improvement In trade
the past week is emphasized by further
purchases of wool, renewed buying by
wool manufacturers, the reduction of
surplus stocks of cotton goods, increas-
ed demand for seasonable fabrics, con-
tinued confidence among manufacture
ars Of iron and steel that there VIII be
an early revival in demand, and i'm
provement in request for sample goods
in the south Atlantic and Gulf states
The volume of sales OF general mer-
chan disc shows a small gain over last
week, and the feeling among whole
sale merchants is one of more coilfl-
dence in a comparatively early improve
ment Unexpectedly large sales or dry
goods are reported from Boston, Chi
cas,, and st. Louis, with Indications
that they NAV continue throughout the
month. At the more important centers
large sales Of hats, shoes. hardware,
and drugs are reported, although the
total is less than in the Ike period or
last wear. Much OF the gain at the
south is due TO the rapidity with which
the cotton crop is being gathered ana
marketed. At San Francisco genershl
business is somewhat more active par
ticularlv exports of barley. Trade has
hean stimulated at leading Washington
brziness center-s. in which state. rains
have damaged the grain crops. VIII
annette valley. Oregon. wheat raieers
are selling wheat freely as current quo
tations.
Exports OF wheat flour included as
wheat from both coasts of the Un0ed
States, this week. amount 10 S,5oo,S-9
bushels. against S,7o9. GEO bushels last
walk. and as compared with 2,5S9.c0
bushels in the same week one year ago,
3 So. 600 bushels two years ago. and A.
727. 900 bushels in the like week Of 1895.
There has been a heavy increase IN
wheat exports from the Pacific coast
this week, as compared with last, but
q falling off in shipments from Atlantic
ports
The number Of business failures
throughout the United States this week
is 81, which is Z more than last week,
% more than in the corresponding week
last year, 81 more than in the Ike week
Of 1891; 81 fewer than IN the correspond
ing period OF 1898 and not quite twice as
many as in the Ike period OF 1892. The
increased proportion Of the number OF
failures concerns with large capital
zation continues noticeable. There are
Il business failures reported throughout
Che Canadian Dominion this week