The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-26
Business improvement Continues
Though Gradual.
FINE CROP PROSPECTS THE MOST
HOPEFUL SIGN.
Business Men of Highest Standing Per-
ceive That Tide Has Begun to Rise
Threatening Labor Troubles Adjust ed
Increasing Demand For Textile
Goods. Even Cottons.

Threatening Labor Troubles Adjust ed
Increasing Demand For Textile
Goods. Even Cottons.
New York, June 25.-R. G. Dun & Co.,
in their weekly review of trade, will says
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 per-
ceived that the tide has begun to rise, are
regulating their contracts and investments
and their plans for the future with
confidence quite unknown to them short
time ago. Great changes before the
adjournment of Congress are hardly to be
expected, but removal of uncertainty is
with reason expected to bring into oper-
alton buying forces which have been
restricted for months. Meanwhile it is
encouraging that crops prospects still
grow brighter, that the Industries meet
a gradually increasing demand for pro-
ducts, that labor questions which had q
threatening aspect have been adjusted and
that the treasury maintains it's ample
strength notwithstanding some exports Of
gold brought about by premiums paid
on behalf of foreign governments.
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 sur
| 1sr ~vxr 1L1 r. L. -A--~y
region and California, SO that 500, 900 tons
is now called the minimum from the lat
ter state, and statisticans of repute calcu-
late on go, 900, 600 bushels winter wheat
beyond the government estimate. Spring
wheat is doing remarkably well with q
practically unknown increase OF acreage.
The price has advanced 1 1-2 cents during
the week with a decrease of 1, zoo, 900
bushels in western receipts and Atlantic
exports of only ,445, ,947 bushels, flour
included, against 1,713, 1861 last year, but
it is just the season when figures have no
value except as proving how erroneous
were estimates Of the crop of 1896. Cot
ton has lifted an eighth without reason
and has fallen back as much because
everything points to larger crop than
has been commonly expected.
Iron and steel products average small
fraction lower in published quotations,
but only because private concessions
WlllCA arc lOW ICpOIuCu ny SuAASuS bubAO-
rifles were complacently concealed two
weeks ago. Tin has advanced to IA cents
in spite of heavy arrivals.
There is encouraging increase in the
demand for all textile goods, even for cot
tons, which have so long been slow and
though it is but moderate there is moth
ing Of speculative character in transac-
tions and prices are firmly held. Or
ders for woolens have been rather bet
ter than were expected from clothiers
and fairly good for dress goods. Opera
tions In spring goods are still deferred.
While mills are somewhat better en-
ployed and are buying to some extent,
most of the purchases of wool are for
speculation, nearly three quarters being
at Boston alone and the aggregate was
8, ,733, 300 pounds at the chief markets,
500, 800 of foreign wool. Domestic wool
is still held at relatively high prices at
the west. The new demand for boots
and shoes does not increase as much as
was expected, and some large factories
have closed for want of orders, many 9TH
ers running only part time. Actual ship
ments from Boston for three weeks of
June were smaller than in either of the
past five years, but only per cent small
er in 1892
. Failures for the week have been 216 in
the United States against 217 last year
and "a in Canada against "A last year.