Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-15
sRAosTaEeT's REPORT.
Much Better Feeling aad indications Tor still
Better Business 10 Come.

New York, March 14.-Bradstreets.
Saturday. said Continued activity In
various Industrial lines based on the ex-
panding consumptive demand. fairly
steady prices for staples, a further Inn
provement In railway earnings and wide
spread confidence that the volume OF
business will expand materially In the
near future, constitutes the trade feat
urcs OF the week. There Is u better In
qniry for shoes. hats and clothing. light
hardware. agricultural implements, In
the West and Southwest. Jobbers at Chi
cago and st. Louis report a fairly steady
request by mail order and visiting buyers.
Offerings OF cotton goods have been in
excess of the demand. Wool continues
active and firm In price. The central West
and Northwest report the distribution OF
general merchandise interferred with by
foods and washouts.
Bank ciearings point to temporary
check TO the tendency to the increase
noted earlier In the year. The weeks
total was $g2G. 900 being per cent. less
than last week. and 2 per cent less than
the second week of March, 1896.
Prices have been fairly steady. the note
worthy decreases being for tea. sugar.
coffee. lard and wheat The quotations
are practically unchanged for wheat
flour. pork oats petroleum and print
cloths, while those for cotton Indian corn.
shoes. leather. tobacco and rosin are
higher. The drop in the price of wheat in
the face OF the governments remarkably
the farmers hands. indicates q contin-
ted lack In faith In the agricultural de-
partment outgivings rs TO the size Of the
crops and stocks OF the same.
The government report of wheat stocks
IN farmers hands March /. backed by its
wheat crop report for 1896. and the ac-
cepted estimates for reserves. July ]. 1896
indicate that less than 30.0J00J0 bushels
OF wheat remain in the country. visible
and invisible available for export prior
to July ]. 1897, and for reserves on that
date.
Exports of wheat from both coasts OF
the United States, this week. tfiour in
Guided us wheat were only 1.5ss Az
bushels against 2,i0i.op in The week
year ago, and form the smallest weeks
total since the last week of April 1886.
Exports OF Indian corn continue heavy,
amounting TO $4,000 bushels, against
f.sas.oJg In the week year ago.
Later January net railway earnings ar
more favorable Than those recently re
ported. The total earnings OF 81 systems.
representatives of american railway
operations. were Ss50,'7,sso gross, SOFA
;,'s net. decreases respectively of 80 and
81 per cent. from the January totals OF
a Year ago.
February gross railway earnings tend
10 improve although comparisons with
that month In 1896 stili favor last year.
Compared with the February OF the pre-
vious two years. the showing is more
satisfactory. The total earnings OF ifS
railroads for February of this year. as-
gregate lsSiiGJ,e1l. decrease of seven
tenths Of ! per cent. from the total for
February. 1886: and earnings of To- roads
show an Increase OF last month over The
total for February. 1895. of ia per cent.
This Is Il a better showing than January
or any month since September. Coalers
trunk lines and Southwestern roads all
show gains IN February. over u year ago.
whereas In January not one group OF
American roads showed an Increase.
Failures continue to decrease. the total
for the week being eee7 against ~ in tie
week. a year ago.