The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-12-25
WEEKLY REVIEW OF TRADE
REPORTS SHOW 4 RElrARKABLY
 LARGE HOLIDAY TRADE.

LdhUE hOLIDAI LhdHEV At Many Points It is Greater Than for Five
 Years-Foreign Trade Continues satis-
 factory Even in Comparison With Re-
 marltablo Record of Year Ago.
 New York, Dec, 24,-R. G. Dun & Go. in their weekly review of trade will say:
 bly, large holiday trade, at many points the largest for five years. Moreover, at the season when wholesale business usually shrinks, the pressure of de- mands for immediate deliveries, which results from unprecedented distribution to consumers, keeps many establish ments at work that usually begin their yearly resting spell somewhat earlier. Instead of decreasing the demand for products shows an unexpected increase in several important branches. For eign trade continues satisfactory, even in comparison with the remarkable record of a year ago, when exports eX- ceeded s117, ,OOO,0O in December.
 Bank failures at Philadelphia, due to individual operations, cause no disturb ance, and commercial failures for the month have been less than half of last years to the same date.
 The outgoing flood of grain is not checked by Chicago speculation, though more corn than wheat has been mov- ing. Wheat exports, flour included, have been 3.69S321 bushels for week, against 3,56S,S05 the previous week and 1,546,443 year ago, and In four weeks 15, 766,S95 bushels, against 9,039,5S7 last year, while corn exports for the week, 4,540S2S bushels, against 1,751,740 last year, have been in four weeks 14,42O, 151, against 8,176,073 last year. Last years corn movement was by far the great est ever known, and this years wheat movement of the half year nearly ended has been close to the maximum reached in 1891.
 Cotton goods have further declined in prices of bleached, which meet ac tive southern competition, and the Fall River spinners insist upon a reduction of one-ninth in wages, other New Eng land mills joining. Out of 101 New England works forty-five have passed dividends, fourteen at Fall River, with fifteen others paying one per cent. for | the last quarter. The fall in the price | of cotton, when mills were holding heavy stocks of goods, placed this in- dustry in a most embarrassing posi- ton. Woolen mills have begun buying domestic wool heavily, especially Mon- | tana, as if assured of large business for | the season about to open. Contracts of | unknown magnitude have been made, | it is said, many at previous prices, but | others at a moderate advance. Wool is more firm, traders having disposed of $500, 900 pounds Territory and 1,500,- | GOO other domestic at Boston, and sales at three cities have reached 7,200000 pounds.
 1 Shipments of boots and shoes from | the east in December have been 23 per cent. larger than last year, than the | greatest for that month, and 37 per cent larger than in 1892 This unpre- | cedented movement for two months has been almost wholly to meet urgent de- mands caused by sales greater than | dealers anticipated, so that nearly all orders for January and later months have been met by supplementary ship ments.
 New business for the next season is very small, and few works have more than three weeks business ahead, but
 with such a consumption in progress they are not apprehensive Buying of
 leather is closely confined to necessi-
 ties, and prices have changed but lit tie, though speculation appears in union
 with some large sales and one of 5000
 hides, sat in at eleven cents, is report | ed. Hides at Chicago are weaker. and
 on calfskins one cent lower, with the decision against the duty of two cents.
 There is a stronger demand for iron
 and it's products, Bessemer rising to $10
 and Grey Forge to $9 at Pittsburg. and | the Eastern Bar association has ad-
 vanced the price to II cent for refined | and 1,021a for common. Owing to pos
 sble changes in freight rates southern | pig is offered at twenty-five cents low CT.
 Tin is slightly weaker owing to large
 shipments.
 Failures for the week have been 292 | in the United States against 297 last
 year, and B in Canada, against fl last