Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-06-29
TIDE IS RISING.
No Backward Step Shown In the
Progress Of Business.
GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT CONTINUES.
Business Men Exhibit Much Conf
dence In the Future-No Great
Change Anticipated, However,
before Congress AdJourns.

Before Congress Adjourns.
New York, June pr. g. Dun & Co.,
in their weekly review Of trade, say:
There is no step backward in business,
although the season of midsummer quiet
Is near. Improvement continues. gradual
and prudently cautious as before, although
In many branches evident where no signs
OF 1t appeared few weeks ago. Business
men Of the highest standing in all parts
OF the country, having gradually perceived
that the tide has begun to rise, are regulat-
Ing their contracts and investments and
their plans for the future with q confidence
quite unknown to them short time ago.
Great changes before the adjournment of
congress are hardly to be expected. but re-
moval Of uncertainty is with reason ex-
pected to bring into operation buying forces
which have been restricted for months.
Crop Prospects Brighter.
1.-THE main factor at this time Is the
steadily Frightening prospect for crops.
Harvesting Of wheat has already begun
in some winter wheat states, with surp1is-
ing good results in the central region and
California, SO that 100000 tons is now called
the minimum from the latter state, and the
statisticians Of repute calculate on 80,
900 bushels Of winter wheat beyond the
government estimate. Spring wheat is do
ing remarkably well. with a practically
unknown increase of acreage. The price
has advanced IN cents during the week.
Iron and Steel.
Cotton was lifted an eighth without
reason, and has fallen back as much, be-
cause everything points to larger crop
than has been commonly expected. Iron
and steel products average a small frac-
ton lower in published quotations, but only
because private concessions which are
now refused were by various authorities
complacently concealed two weeks ago.
Pig iron is firmer with better demand at
the west and at Chicago, but the impa-
thence OF valley furnaces to resume work
keeps Bessemer ana gray forge at last
weeks quotations at Pittsburgh. The best
of the news is material increase in orders
for plates, In part for ship building in bars
for agricultural implement works, in struc.
tural shapes for buildings and bridges and
in galvanized sheets One heavy contract
for 800 miles S0-inch and 100 miles 1O-inch
pipe, sought by the Australian government
for gold regions, excites many hopes in
the trade. The great ore-producIng COM
semer, Fayal to $40. apparently in order
to score the biggest possible business OF
the year as basis for future combine
ton.
There is encouraging increase in the
demand for all textile goods even for cot
tons, which have so long been slow, and
though 1t Is but moderate, there is moth.
ing of q speculative character in the trans
actions, and prices are firmly held Re.
orders for woolens have been rather bet.
ter than were expected from clothiers and
fairly good from dress goods. Operations
IN spring goods are still deferred. While
mills are somewhat better employed and
are buying to some extent
Failures for the week have been 216 In
the United States, against 217 last year.
and "a In Canada, against "a last year."
Bradstreet's View of the Situation,
Bradstreet's says;
THE persistent Misrepresentation of the
actual state of trade throughout the co,,n.
try during the past month In an apparent
endeavor to make the prospective improve
ment In business appear to be its present
condition. demands an examination as to
the facts, and Bradstreet's presents con.
densed results Of interviews with repre-
sentative manufacturers and merchants
at more than 80 important commercial and
Industrial centers east of the Rocky noun
tains. The demand, except in few lines
is less pronounced than it was two months
ago. There is no material increase in the
volume distributed compared with a year
ago, and prices for many staples are lower
But there has been an Improvement COM
pared with the situation prior to the pres.
idential election of 1886 ard as contrasted
Win last MANY VI the larger
merchants and manufacturers character
lie the business record for the first half
of 1897 as a disappointment in contrast
with anticipations In December, 1896. On
the other hand, confidence is widespread
In revival of demand this fall or the
three great manufacturing industries, iron
and steel. cottons and woolens, the first
shows relatively most Improvement and
woo!ens next, although tariff delays have
taken TIE edge Off demand in that line and
permitted importers to stock UP with near
ly two years supplies. Cotton goods will
suffer from cut prices, excessive competi-
ton and heavy production. There is a
better demand for silks, millinery and con-
fectionery, which, aside from the prosper
ity of the bicycle industry, constitute ex-
ceptions. Higher prices for leading cereals,
for meats and Havana tobacco are note
worthy. and reflect, respectively, unusual
ly small supplies of wheat and strength Of
the control of the meat supply and existing
conditions in Cuba."