The record-union., 1897-09-18
WEEKLY REVIEW OF
TRADE CONDITIONS.
Business Throughout the Country
Continues to Increase.
Notwithstanding Unreasonable Weather and
Outbreak Of Yellow Fever.
fleet Activity With Jobbers and
WholesaIers-Enorm Exports
of Wheat and Corn.

! unseasonably warm weather and the
| appearance of yellow fever in several
Gulf States, checking locally the distri
button of merchandise, business
| throughout the country has increased
more than anticipated. The center of
improvement is Chicago, which fur
nishes the most favorable trade report
within five years. Advices from Kan
sas City, Omaha. st. Paul and st. Louis
reflect activity with jobbers and whole
salers. There is a temporary stimulus
to business at Savannah, owing to the
withdrawal of competition from mer-
chants at towns cut off by the fever
quarantine. Chattanooga, Memphis,
Atlanta, Augusta, Galveston and even
st. Louis anticipate temporary fall
ing off in business owing to the inter
ruption to traffic in the Gulf States and
adjoining territory.
The practical settlement of the btu
minouS coal strike, further rising tide
of demand for iron and steel products,
the withdrawal from the market of
some manufactures of woolens, extra
ordinary large bank clearings and re-
| ports that mercantile collections have
| improved, constitute the features of the
week
| Wheat exports are very large, and
| with one exception (that of the second
week of September, 1S9D are the heavi-
| est on record. The total shipments this
week (fiour included as wheaD aggre-
gate 6,3I9,94S bushels, against 5,461,-
5G6 bushels last week, 1866, 325 bushels
last year, ,, 5S3, 0S5 bushels in the COR
responding week in 1895, 1851, 2S2
bushels in 1894, 4,727, 92O bushels in
1893 and 6974 900 bushels, the heaviest
| on record, in the week of 1891
Corn exports are 100000 bushels
smaller than last week, aggregating
1901, 900 bushels, as compared with p
394, 900 bushels the corresponding week
of last year, 1,061 600 bushels in 1895,
| ], 145000 bushels in 1894 and 1,195, 500
bushels in 1898
There are 100 business failures re-
ported throughout the United States
this week, compared with 175 last week,
80 IN the week year ago, 21S two
| years ago, and a like number three
years ago. and as compared with 346
in the second week of September 1893.
There are SO business failures reported
fro mthe Canadian Dominion this week,
against 80 last week, and Al in each of
the corresponding weeks in 1896 and
1895.
NEW YORK, Sept. 17.-R. G.. Dun &
Co.'S Weekly Review of Trade will
say in its issue tomorrow:
The end of the bituminous strike and
the return of many thousand men to
work at advanced wages adds to the
purchasing power of the people, and the
anthracite strike affects not a fifth as
many workers. The starting of many
mines and works, enormous exports of
wheat and corn, the favora BILE news as
to those crops and cotton, the fall in
sterling exchange and the report show
ing that gold imports, begun in August,
exceeded exports $1,000, 5S7, while mer-
chandise exports exceeded imports by
| $40, 953. 1913, have all contributed to for
ward the Improvement in business. The
replenishment of stocks cannot be half
finished. Some who could see no sign
of improvement a few weeks ago are
now finding it SO vast and rapid that
they fear a reaction.
But consumers as well as dealers
have also to supply themselves after
years of enforced economy, and while
their power to purchase is increasing
every day and their actual buying at
retail, reasons for apprehension are not
apparent. When the tide changes after
| four years of depression, it does not fall
! again after four weeks The wheat
market has declined over ) cents on
account of crop reports, which promise
larger prosperity, and corn and cotton
are both a little lower for like reasons.
Yet estimates of the highest financial
authorities regarding requirements
from this country are not smaller, but
| larger than before, while better pros
poets in Argentine, Australia and In
dia hold out no promise of large Euro
pean supplies or of any until winter is
about over.
Atlantic exports of wheat, flour in
Guided, are more than double last years
each week, in two weeks SS20,313
! bushels. against 4107, 722 last year, and
of corn 7.079,3S3 bushels, against g.
| 1877, S26 bushels last year. From the
Pacific Coast wheat is also moving
largely, % cargoes from San Francisco
this month, and over 54S, $50 bushels
in seven days from Portland
Corn declined over 3 cents. with the
grotwing belief that the yield will sur
pass estimates.
The stock market had one of its reac-
tions on Monday, but on Tuesday was
higher than ever. The reactions thus
| far have been significant. After the
average of 60 active stocks had risen
81 per share, it fell SO cents in two
days of reaction in June, and then rose
again After rising s. more it fell Is
cents on August 9th, then rose another
dollar, and had a serious reaction of SO
cents on the 18th, but was higher than
ever within week August 9th and
a5th it fell % cents, but it then rose So
more September 18th its reaction av-
eraged % cents, and it has since adj
yanced 81 OF.
! The iron industry again shows in
creasing demand. and an average of
prices nearly 1 per cent, higher. due to
purchasing by consumers Buying of
/ 100000 tons of bessemer pig at Pitts
burg has advanced the price to SO.
Gray forge is hard to find there at
> SO Is, and billets sell at SIS so. with