The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-06-07
CONDITIONS OF TRADE
AS Reported by r. G. Dun & Co.'S
Commercial Agency.
VOLUME OF BUSINESS Is LARGE.


ing symptoms of Revival-No Improve
Inent i'm the Market for Farm Products--
Iron Industry Expanding.
New York, June 7.--R. c.. Dun & Co.'s |
Weekly Review of Trade says: The |
statement OF failures in May by the va
rious branches of business gives much |
encouragement In amount of default |
ed liabilities the month was the small
est since September. 1895; in manu-
featuring liabilities, the smallest since
November 1895, and in trading liabili-
ties, the smallest since September except
the last month"; 1894. The failures of
general stores have not been as small
in any month as in May, 1897; in only
two months out of thirty-six have there
| been smaller failures in books and hats;
| only five in groceries and not one trad
| ing class in that month has reported
failures larger than in the half the pre-
ceding months, though in furniture fail
ures are rather numerous In clothing
| manufacture the month was the small
est except four out of thirty-siX, except
| five in chemicals, six in woolen goods,
seven in machinery lumber and miscel-
average only in iron and cotton goods
and earthenware owing to a few fail
ures of exceptional size. Nobody can
mistake the meaning of such returns.
| Volume of Business Is Large,
The statement that, except for the
temporary depression in prices, the VOL
| ume Of business transacted is now larger
than it was in 1S92-the year Of pros
| boe
But comparison of prices this week in
the leading branches of manufacture
not only confirms that view but shows
| a remarkable similarity to the course
of prices in the earlier months of 1879
when the most wonderful advance in
production and prices ever shown in this
or any other country was close at hand.
The key Of the situation is the eX-
cessive production of some goods in ad-
vance Of an expected increase in de-
mand. So i'm 1879 consumption gradual
ly gained, month by month, until sud
denly it was found that the demand
was greater than the supply. All know
how prices then advanced and the most
marvellous progress in the history Of any
| county resulted within two years Re
ports from all parts of the country now
I show that the retail distribution of
! products is unusually large and increas-
ing. There is no improvement in the
market for farm products. Cotton is
| not higher, and the belief that the next
crop will be large in spite Of the foods
is general, while the demand for goods
does not change. although in this coun-
try it is large enough to keep the mar
ket for most goods steady
! situation i'm Wool.
Nor is there any satisfactory demand
for wooden goods. and the sales of wool
! for the week have been only 5S35,9OO
! pounds, and for five weeks 1851 400
pounds, against 26,S00.150 in the corre-
sponding weeks of 1892 The transac-
tions greatly exceed the demands on
the mills. although these are larger than
of late. because the manufacturers of
wooden goods have steadily increasing
( orders
The iron industry is apparently ex-
/ panding production, and is certainly
getting larger contracts. in part because
of very low prices, / cent being made
for beams. Bessemer pig is stronger,
J and grey forge a shade weaker under
! pressure of southern anxiety to sell The
} rail mills are all full the Illinois Steel
company having orders for a railway
and bridges in Corea, and there is bet
ter demand for plates and sheets, and
from makers of agricultural implements
at Chicago for bars. The shipments of
iron ore from Duluth far exceed those
| of any previous year, both the Mime
sofa Iron company and the Carnegie
mines shipping over 100000 tons each
per week. While the rod combination
has not yet been formed, the eXpecta-
ton of it, with a large demand has ad-
vanced prices of nails cent per pack
age.
Tin and Lead.
, Tin Is very firm, in spite of a visible
, supply of "a, ,4S6 tons, at 1880 cents, and
. there are large dealings in copper not
. above II cents for lake Lead is in fair
, demand at 325 cents. and tin-pates are
still selling at $50 cents for full weight
| American.
The crop prospects are so good that
the rumors customary at this season
receive no attention. 1t was stated a
week ago that along the northwestern
roads the prospects were remarkably
J bright and highly favorable reports have
since appeared from Kansas and from
Texas and are given i'm the dispatches
> ! from the Pacific coast The receipts
! at western points are 2,05S,795 bushels
, against 2,006,475 last year, and the At
lantic exports. -four included. were p
t 165.S7S bushels, against 2.S39,S25 last
1 year. The enormous outgo Of corn con-
tinues. the receipts having been 5.S2l 02;
I bushels. against 26O9,9S4 for the same
e week last year, and the exports were
4 1.926. $50 bushels. against 1293.3l6 last
year.
p The failures for the week have beer
\ 241 i'm the United States against 2S4 las
twenty-nine last year.