Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-12-23
THE BUSINESS SITUATION.

Bradstreet's for the paat week
says that "a sensible quoting OF de-
maud in Wholesale lines is reported as
The holiday season and the annual
stock taking period approaches. Chief
among the favorable features OF the
week has been the enlarged inquiry at
higher priceH for steel in various forms
accompanied by advances in the prices
OF sorts moat atfeCtCi. A correspond
ingly heavy business has developed in
Fig iron and prices show but slight
shading in face OF the current i'm
mense production. The wheat market
has been less feverish and prices are
practically unchanged from week
ago, while corn, oats and sugar are adj
ditions to the list nf products showing
advances. The unsatisfactory outlook for
cotton goUds is reflected in reductions
in bloached goods IL the lowest point
ever reached, while some cotton yarns
show weakness Anthracite coal is weak
although production has been curtGiled
and talk of further restriction is heard.
With these exceptions the price situa-
tion is one of quito exceptional steadi-
neHs. Bank clearings totals are again
very large, Gggregating 81, 1863, 600, 700
at eighty seven cities of the United
States, exceeding last weeks large
total by over | per cent, and the total
for this week last year by &c per cent.
Compared with this week in 1895 there
is gain shown OF 15.5 per cent, with
1894 of 81 per cent, and with 1893 of
43. q per cent The EXCESS over the 1892
large total ia fully equal TO that uvor
last weeks total, and the gains as COM
pared with 1891 and 1890 are respectively
10 and - per cent. Heavy gains at
leading cities are feature of the week.
The increase at New York, as com
pared with 1896, ia over 80 per cent,
and the gain outside of that city is in
eycass OF 10 per cent. Wheat exports
show heavy falling off from recently
preceding weeks aggreRatiDg as they
do flour as wheatl, I,G05, 800 bushels
from both coasts of the United States
and st. John, ~ b., against 6,2G6. l53
bushels last week, 4, 222. ia bushels in
this week year ago, 2, i1S, 1923 bushels
in 1885. ., 53G, 293 bushels in 1894 and
3, 2l7, $50 bushels in 1898. "
r. q. Dun Il Co. g Review Saturday
says: "Cluse 10 its annual holiday and
halt. the business OF the year is sur
rrisingly large. Payments through
banks are again 80 per cent larger
than in 1892, heretofore the year of
greatest prosperity; the production of
iron and wooiens and boots and shoes
is larger than ever before, exports
eclipse all past records, and failures for
two weeks have been the smallest for
corresponding weeks in five years.
Treasury receipts show steady in
crease for the first half Of December
over previous months. both in customs
and internal revenue, and heavy pay
ments to the government on Union
| Pacific account caused but slight
stringency in money markets, with prop
aration for large cancellation OF bonds.
The most weighty news of the week is
the rise of merchandise exports in
November to SIG, 630, 200, the excess OF
xIorts in four months being 5000,
2l2. 401, while in half of December ex-
ports are nearly as large and imports
So, 800, 700 smaller than last year. When
the EXCESS of exports was S5S, 205, 366
Probably all records are surpassed by
exports for this year, which have been
1914, COO, 900 in eleven months, and the
excess over imports in five months has
| probably exceeded $685. 600, 600. -