The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-11-21
FROM THE MARTS OF TRADE
REPORTS INDICATE 4 REPLYING
 CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE.

CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE. Holiday Trade Influence Being Felt Heaviest Demand for Dry Goods, Shoes and Groceries-JobbinG Trade Improved Many Staple Lines Advanoe-Bank Clearings-Failures.
 New York, Nov. 2O-Bradstreets to- morrow will say:
 Jobbers and other wholesale dealers in general merchandise do not report the anticipated increases in the volume of goods. There are increased pur- chases of holiday goods, and the tone of the market for staples is one of en- couragement. Relatively, the heaviest demand has been for dry goods, shoes and groceries, but even in these lines, particularly dry goods, the volume has been smaller than expected and disap- pointment is a result There has been no decrease ip the jobbing trade. In fact it is slightly larger than week ago. in most lines tending to increase.
 The many industrial enterprises which have started up continue a fea- ture of each days news bulletin, but there is reason to believe that the sig nificance of these exhibits has been over-emphasized in some instances. The tendency of hides and leather to advance checks orders for shoes, and while the dry goods market is firm and dealers are hopeful, print cloths have weakened on the reaction in the price of cotton. The strength of raw wool is maintained and orders at recent quo- tations have been refused.
 Iron and steel industries in some in stances have perfected details for the allotment of production and mainten- ance of prices. While the latter are firm and may go higher demand is temporarily checked. In addition to changes in the prices, the week is marked by reactions in quotations for wheat, corn and oats, for sugar, tur- pentine, pork, lard, coffee and petrole- um.
 Wheat four advances, as do several varieties of lumber, iron sheets and tobacco Combinations among iron and steel makers are expected to ad VdHCG UT Il1dlllldlll 1SCclll ooNollSSS iOi nails, bar iron, steel beams, rails and billets and other forms of steel The most favorable feature of the week is the increase in bank clearings through out the United States, the total volume of which Is s1,236, ,000, 900, 4 per cent. more than the unusually large total last week, nearly 10 per cent. more than in the corresponding week one year ago, 21 per cent. more than in the third week of November, 1894, 29 per cent. more than in the like week of 1895 and ii per cent more than in the core spending period of 1892-a year of large volume of business
 Outside of speculative markets the tendency of bank clearings, compared with the corresponding totals a. year ago. is to decline The gain of nearly 10 per cent. over the week last year is due largely to increases of more than IS per cent at New York, 40 per cent. at San Francisco, 10 per cent. at Bos- ton and per cent. at Baltimore. The total exports of wheat (four included as wheat) from both coats of the Unit ed States and from Montreal, this week, amount to 3,397,23 bushels, against g. 916OO0 bushels in the week one year ago. The exports of Indian corn ag gregate 2,975,721 bushels, against less than 100000 bushels in the week one year ago.
 Gross and net railway earnings for nine months reflect the severe trade depression which eliminated in the stagnation preceding the late presiden- tial election Favorable results earlier in the year have not been maintained and the tendency is to wipe out the gains shown early in the year as con- trasted with 1895. Total earnings of 136 railroads, embracing 65 per cent. of the railway earning capacity of the country, aggregate $576, 6,9S2,922 for nine months of the calendar year, an in- crease over the like period in 1895 of 1.6 per cent, following a gain in 1895 over 1894 of 5 per cent.
 There are 308 business failures in the United States this week, fifteen fewer than in the corresponding week one year ago.
 Trade features at Toronto are limit ed to the call for heavy winter goods At Montreal colder, weather has stim- ulated demand, but mercantile collec- tions are reported less easy to make. Improvement is noted in several lines, but there is no general expansion of trade.