The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-30
CONDITION OF TRADE.
Heavy Snowfall Caused Falling OF
In Business.
Decrease of Sales a Favorable
Feature.
Wool Continues Active With Heavy SaIes-..Bank
Wool Continues Active With Heavy SaIes-..Bank
ClearanceS

New York. Jan. 3O.-Bradstreet's to-
day says:
There has been a falling off in general
trade owing TO the heavy fall of snow
and cold wca,.aer. Low temperature
has stimulated demand in a few retail
lines. hut jobbers report sales Of dry
goods, clothing and farmers supplies
checked. There is a moderate increas in
distribution of heavy winter goods. but
commercial travellers report very gen.
orally buyers gre even more conservative
than earlier in the month, and that
wholesale trading in January, except
in lines specified, is smaller than for
years. Mercantile collections are inter-
Iupted, and the Improvement looked for
in iron and steel Is not in sight.
The most favorable feature of the
business week is the sudden and sharp
falling off in the total number Of business
failures I'm the United States, the aggre-
s.; te being 326 as compared with 429
last week. a decrease of 103. When COM
pared with the corresponding week Of
1926, this weeks falling off is 81, but
there is an increase Of IA as compared
with the like period in 1894, there have
with the like week in 1895. Contrasted
been IA fewer failures this week than a
year ago.
There have been increased sales of
hides and leather, in some instances of
shoes, coal, fertilizers and southern pig
iron for export. At Boston, Charleston,
Galveston and San Francisco there are
moderate gains in trade compared with
last week. The efature of the Pacific
coast business situation continues to
be the relatively large proportion of
foreign trade. Eastern and middle
state iron and steel industries are in an
unsatisfactory condition. but southern
furnaces announce nearly 10000 tons of
iron sold for export, with Russia in the
market as a would-be buyer.
The heavy business in raw wool with
in a fortnight continues, and there is
still an active demand Boston sales for
three weeks aggregate nearly 30,000,O00
pounds, of which more than two thirds
Is domestic. The London wool sales de-
yeloped sharp competition between
American buyers, and wools suitable for
use here are as high as at any time dur
inG the December sale. Mems wear wool
ems, heavyweights for next fall, are
attracting attention. and good orders
have been booked. Cotton goods con-
tinue depressed.
Bank clearings at cities throughout
the United States show q sharp falling
Off from last week, about per cent, but
an increase of Z per cent compared with
the corresponding total one year ago,
per cent compared with the clearings
in the fourth week in January 1895, and
25 per cent contrasted with the cores
ponding total in 1894. This weeks clear
ings are 80 per cent smaller than the like
total in 1898. and 20 per cent smaller than
the corresponding aggregate in 1892. The
downward movement of prices for some
Of the more important staples continues
continues conspicuous, notably for flour,
cats, lard, coffee, petroleum, turpentine
and tin plate. Quotations for Indian
corn, pork, sugar, cotton and print cloths
are practically unchanged. Concessions
have been made in prices for iron and
steel, yet quotations are nominally un-
changed.
Prices for stocks at New York have
advanced on light transactions. Spec.
ulation is bulish on the settlement
of the Ohio coal road rate war and the
coming appointment OF an experienced
business man and financier like Mr.. Gage
of Chicago, as secretary Of the treasury
in the new cabinet. Bonds are in de-
mand and good issues scarce, while
government 4s have reached 123%, the
highest price yet reached. Exchange is
firm on manipulation at 486A to 4S7. but
tends to decline on the weakness of
money in London.
Exports of wheat (f1our included as
wheaD from both coasts Of the United
States this week amount to 2,515, 40S bush
els, as compared with 2,916.000 bushels
last week, 2,550,000 in the week year
ago, 2,4S3, 900 bushels in the week two
years ago, 2,OS3, 900 bushels three years
ago, and as contrasted with 3,123,000
bushels in the corresponding week of
1898. Exports of Indian corn amount to
SOL, ,602 bushels this week, compared
with $500, 900 bushels last week, 3,197, 900
bushels in the week year ago, 942, 900
bushels in the week two years ago,
2,147, 900 bushels three years ago, and as
contrasted with 100000 in the like week
of 1898.
The total number Of business failures
throughout the Canadian dominion this
week is S. Last week the total was 81
and last year 1t was 63. while In the week
two years ago II was 56 and In the CORES
ponding period Of 1894 1t was A.