The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-21
GENERAL TRADE DISAPPOINTING
The Expected Business Revival Is Very
Slow In Coming.

New York, March ao.-BraGst-eets to-
morrow Will say: General trade through
out the United States for the first quarter
of 1896 Is disappointing. When the i'm
provement in industrial and commercial
lines between March and September. 1880
is recalled. occurring. as ii did. two years
after the panic of 1895. reason would seem
TO have been behind the confidence that
the current calendar year will bring a
general revival. But the most favorable
reports at this time are those which de-
clare the volume of bushes only equal TO
and In a few instances in excess of the like
total one year ago. The fact that interior
merchants are buying more freely In Mis-
souri,. Kansas. Oklahoma and parts of Ne
hraska. where the snow and rain have pre-
pared the soil for the crops. constitutes
almost the only favorable announcement
for the week. In almost all other parts OF
the country east OF the Mississippi stormy
weather has tended to check the volume
OF business and still further restrict mer-
camille collections. which have now been
exceptionally slow for more than a month.
The unusually large number OF business
failures taking place during the first quar-
ter OF the current year promises to make
a record. The total for the current week
throughout the country is 800. or IS more
than last week. IS more thantin the like
week In 1885. l03 more than the correspond
ing week in 1894. and as more than in the
third week of March, 1883
There is sharp decline In total exports
of wheat, -four included, from both coasts
of the United States this week. the total
amounting to only .5a2. 600 bushels against
2.sol, 600 last week. 2.aSs.ooo in the week one
year ago. and 2.34s,ooo in the third week of
March, 1894 This Is the smallest grand
total Of exports of wheat. -four included.
since the last week OF July, 1906
Dun's Review of Trade.
K. g. Dun & Co.'S weekly review of
trade, to be issued tomorrow VIII say.
Movement toward better things is sttli the
exception. There Is better business In shoes
and small industries. and there has been a
squeezing OF short sellers In common. But
the general tendency OF industries ana
prices is not encouraging. and those who
were most hopeful a month ago are SIN
waiting. not so hopefully. for the eSaeoted
recovery. Causes of the continued de-
preston are not wanting. Bad weather has
cur on much business, especially in the
country districts. Some failures OF conse.
quence have caused especial caution. The
root OF the business is that In MANY DE-
plrtments men bought more and produced
more. when prices were mounting ara
everybody was rushing TO buy last year.
than they have yet been able TO sell Thai
the buying was of n nature 10 anticipate
actual consumption for many months they
were fully warned. but they had more hone
than observation. and went on piling m
goods Some are engaged today In the
same hopeful anticipation OF a demand
which has not yet appeared
The iron industry shows but a slight ay-
erage decline in prices. as the combinations
stiii insist upon the highest prices OF lac,
year, and the demand is naturally cur
tailed. Quotations are deceptive. be-
cause lower prices are constantly made
10 secure business. but with
the ore and cake combinations demanding
high figures hesitation is inevitable Minor
metals change little. but aluminium. hv a
mispr.nt quoted here enormously last week
sells At 81 cents.
The market In wheat has been v..L
though rather stagnant. but the weigh,
Of facts Is felt. az Western recefD,= go-
three weeks In March have been go as-
bushels. against 5.s2; szs last year. AfIan,tc
exports, -four included. also show that tbo
decrease amounted 10 sn4s.oG4 bushels for
three weeks. against oe7.ols bushels last
year. The movement Of corn crrfir,ee
very large. and prices have declined cen,
for cash
Failures for the week were 2sl In ,h.
United States. against Z7s last year ana 80
in Canada against IS last year
Bradstreet's Financial Review.
BradstTeet's financial review torno-ro,y
will say: Dizziness accomHsrisd bs da
preston has n1a-kea the npee1,iattvc s,,-
ration this week. transactions hsva
been elmest entirely professional. ami a..
market az 3 whole very narrow. eo.na
liquidation Of long holdings could bo,,-
ever. be traced. and the trading elsrn.rt
on IN. stock exchange at times xho,~aa
more or less vigar. and furnished tho 49,,
support 20 prices that was at all In ,r.,
deuce. The puhic IA on; % the stock ma
kes. and London Indifference and dIa.r,,,,
Of the speculative situation here is 80 ,sss
apparent than in the past. All dana~,-
m@nts RI, were. indeed Unsettled -
ing iha sSriy days OF the week by ne -,
utuds Of the French governments n -
iaticn 20 Enxisnfs policy in pgvnt
though by last Thursday the sitsation ~
improved sufficiently for buIissh ,rrt,s
raent - assert itself there. THE ;n,e-..,
in American stocks Is. however az H.
smallest character. and the uFh Ionsr,
bought late in the week. II was in So.
sr4afnx amounts that no effect was -
Suced The fart that foreign excbsn.-,.
rates keep STEADILY below the gold .y,,n..
rso,n, does not attract attention g.
beneficial essc, on speculative Sansf-,s..
- noweYxr osSet b. a general appFs~5,l
,;oa II re fart that this II the sst,i, =,
-. nzrs~rfrx % the money Tnarket