The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-12-05
oUN's COMMERCIAL REVIEW.


The Phenomenal Increase la Business
Since the Election - Reasonably Well
Sustained, Notwithstanding COmbina-
tions and High Prices In Iron and Boots
aud shoes ReIard Orders-Money Coming
New YORK, Nov. 2S.-R. G. Dun s
Co. say to-day in their weekly review
of trade:
When the rush of orders after the
election slackened, many began to
think business dwindling. But subsi-
dencs of deferred orders is not de-
crease in business. Disappointmentis
observed in the iron and steel indus
tries, because various combinations
have been and are still retarding or
ders by prices which buyers believe
cannot be maintained. and the same is
true in boots and shoes and in a few
branches of textile goods. But bust
ness is on, the whole, enlarging, and
the employment of many more hands
will extend purchasing power. The
settlement of the window glass o
troversy, starting many thousand
hands, and the collapse of some i'm
portant iron combinations, with the
same effect, give promise OF more busi-
ness. Broadly speaking, the gain has
been greater than anybody expected,
and it is not surprising if a small part
of it is in excess of. the present con-
Stunning demand.
Reports from all parts of the coun-
try sho W clearly the enlargement of
trade, not at all points in the same
branches, but everybody helped by a
more confident feeling. Monetary
difficulties have vanished as if by
magic and banks with an uncomforta-
bly, large supply of idle money are
hunting borrowers, as the borrowers
were recently hunting lenders. Enor-
nous gains in bank deposits-S37, O0u,
Coz in two weeks-iniicdte something
OF the mount of funds recently hoard
ed.
Wheat has risen over six cents.for the
week without material change in for
eign advices, which have been, on the
whole, less stimulating. Corn has
sympathized with wheat only 4 little
and is coming forward freely. The
important factor in the wheat market
is that the visible supplies do notgain
as much as has been expected.
Cotton has gained only u sixteenth
after its considerable decline, and the
remarkably heavy movement puts the
spectators Tor al advance in constant
difficulties, and yet there is all the
time to be remembered the fact that
fhn a-,N tunS DaoF 81 " month n a nj ia-
than usual, and the present excess
over last years movement may be ma
terially reduced hereafter. Never
thclcss the fact appears that northern
mills are taking much less cotton than
in previous years, and the demand for
goods is evidently disappointing. 1t
annot be said that prices in this de-
partment are the hindrance, for even
with some recent reduction in quo
tations the sales of staple cottons are
comparatively small.
Wool was and is still bought largely
for speculation and earlier purchasers
are unloading, but the mills are not
yet doing much more than in October.
A few more have been started, but
there is scarcely more demand appar-
ent for staple goods. The boot and
shoe industry is still hindered by the
general refusal of dealers to pay the
advanced prices demanded by manu-
~facturers, except for the limited guam
titles which are Immediately required,
Il while most manufacturers are
working on orders taken weeks ago
at lower prices, which will keep them
busy for some weeks to come, very
little new business is coming.
No further advance of Importance
has been made in leather, and thu
market for hides has sharply reacted,
SO that the average of prices s
slightly lower than November II.
The collapse of the nail combinatun
and probably of the beam combiIa-
ton and considerable reduction in
quotations for nails and beams, give
reason to look for Il larger ~demandfor
products of iron and steel, but at Jres-
ent the sales against speculative pur-
chases made some time ago are depess-
ing prices, and Bessemer pig hassold
at Sl2.25,and according to some reports
a little lower, at Pittsburgh. Tle de-
mand for such products as are not
controlled by the combinations i some
what increasing, but by no means as
rapidly as expected. In minor metals
tin is scarcely as strong as il was a
week ago, but copper and lead are
stronger.
Failures for the week have been 200
in the United States, against 279 last
year and IS in Canada against AZ last