The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-08-14
DuN'S COMMERCIAL REVIEW.

Remarkable Showing for tho Month Of
,July-The PessImiSts are Growing Weary
-Grentest Volume OF Business Reported
by clearinghouse for Five S~ears-Lsrge
Crops and Advancing Prices Among the
Causes.
NEW YORK, Aug. 7.-R. G. Dun Il
Co.'s weekly review of trade says:
Four years ago. August s, 1898, the
first number of Dun's review was is
sued with failures in that month
amounting to over $40. 000. on, while IN
the month just closed failures have
been only S7.1l7,737. the small
est in n month since lS92.
The statement of failures by
classes OF business for July and for 40
months shows that in manufacturing
failures have been smaller than IN any
other month of the entire period; IN
trading smaller than in any other
month except one, and in many
branches of each department smaller
than in most months of which records
! exist. The pessimists who pronounced
reports of gain fictitious and mlsrepre-
sensations have grown weary OF their
dismal views, and begin to see the
dawn of better days.
Last month was the first for four
wears OF which the volume of business
reported by clearinghouse was larger
than the same month of 1892, and the
Geographic dispatches from all parts
| of the country given this week show u
gratifying improvement. This Is
partly due to a large yield for which
there is good prices, though the crop
is probably not as large nor are prices
thus far as high as in 1892, but of cot
ton the price is higher, and the yield
probably larger than in that year.
Other farm products are realizing
greater prices, and the possible de-
crease in yield of corn may help to
take the enormous supply brought
over from last year,
1t is the wrong season to expect much
from industries, and yet there has been
material increase in the number OF
hands employed in the iron manufac-
turc, because of the satisfactory adj
iustment of the wage disputes with the
Amalgamated association and the
opening of numerous establishments
which have been waiting, while the
coal miners strike seems each day
more likely to end in a permanent set
Element beneficial to both parties.
Meanwhile, the demand for most lin
ished products is steadily increasing
the feature this week being large pipe
contracts for Russian oil fields, Sumatra
and Germany. While consumption
does not vet equal the capacity of the
works in operation. and prices OF iron
and steel products average slightly
lower, the situation is altogether more
hopeful. :.
In minor metals the consumption of
tin equals the receipts, so that prices
do not change, and the visible supply
is practically the same asa month ago
while exports of copper have been
heavy and prevent a decline of lake be-
low IL cents and realizing in lead has
caused only q slight decline to $50.
The sales of wool. as comparative re-
turns by months show, bear little re-
Iation to the actual consumption IN
manufacture, but heavy liquidation
since the new tariff bill was enacted
gives the impression that some dealers
are no longer confident of a speedy
advance. Nevertheless prices have
risen during the past few weeks
nearly one cent per pound. Manutac'
turers are buying but little. though
they are rapidly increasing the output
and are able to obtain an advance OF
about ten per cent. in prices of goods
with rapidly increasing orders. TIT
temporary curtailment of output by
cotton mills continues, but does moi
yet bring improved prices.
Failures for the week have been 23i
in the. United States against 240 last
year, and % in Canada against 80 last
uaar