Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-10-08
THE PULSE OF TRADE
It's Action Continues to Show a
Healthy Condition
REVIEWED BY DUN AND BRADSTREE1
Failures Show a Lower Average Than
for Many Yenrs-yolume of BUSH
ness LarEer-RevivnI in
Productive Industries.
New York, Oct. 2.-R. G. Dun & Co.,

New York, Oct. TX. u. Dun d Co., In
their weekly review of trade, say:
1.-The failures during the third quarter
OF 1897 were 1903. with liabilities of $685.
963261, of which 29 were in banking, for 3d.
3S7.069. Commercial failures, 2.S74, with
liabilities Of $25,576.192, average only ss,S99
each. lower than In any quarter for 2s
years. The amount of defaulted liabili-
ties Is the smallest in any quarter for five
years, and in 10 years only six quarters
have shown smaller liabilities. Manufac-
turing failures, 651, with liabilities of &c.
431 .191, average but s14.4S7 each: and trad
ing 2,164, with liabilities of 81. 1926, 065. aver
age but s5,s27 each, both smaller in average
of liabilities than in any previous year Of
which classified records exist.
Volume of Business Larger.
1.-THE volume of legitimate business con-
tinues a little larger than in the same
month of 1892, for while the great increase
of PA per cent. at New York for the week
might be supposed due to speculative
activity, in spite of the establishment and
growth of the stock exchange clearing
house, yet payments through the prin-
cipal clearing house outside of New York
exceeded those Of 1892 by 35 per cent. for
the week, and 2 per cent. for September.
New York makes settlements for large
part of the country, and the daily av-
erage including this city, was in Septem-
Der, S206, S64 600, against s134, $4,000 last,
$133,S10 000 in 1884, $122 900 in 1S93 and $780,
$4,000 in 1892, SO that the gain over the
same month in the best of past years is
II per cent.
Speculation Set Back.
"These evidences Of reviving prosperity
are the more important because prices for
most manufactured products have adj
vanced but moderately, and are much be-
low the level of 1892, while speculative
markets are all declining with curious
mi Nv, L., -.
make grain and cotton weak, would not
assure increased business to railways and
warrant better prices for stocks. Specula-
tion In wheat and cotton has been set
back by bright crop prospects. The wheat
estimates of 590,000.0 600 bushels. about 2CO,-
100000 bushels more than would be re-
quired for food and seed, leaving the
smallest stocks for six years without re-
Punishment, was followed by decrease In
foreign buying and caused weakness The
price of wheat has declined cents and of
corn nearly cents for the week. Dismal
reports have been frequent, but the mar
ket shows more faith In predictions OF
large yield and the per cent. has de-
clined quarter of a cent for the week.
Working Forces Increased.
Turning from speculative markets tc
productive industry, the change In tone
is striking. All industries are pushed to
increase working force, with occasional
AiSS III AatS VI Wages, Dy lile growing de-
mand. This is largely for replenishmen
of stocks, but dispatches show that retail
trade at nearly all northern points con-
tinues to expand. and dealers we'll know
that increase of working force and OF
wages insures a larger distribution OF
goods. Anxious appeals for speedy deliv-
cries disclose more rapid distribution al
ready than had been expected, and In
textile manufactures the works are hin.
dered from taking as liberal orders as
they might by doubts about future prices
though having enough to do for some
time.
Slower to gain, because less affected
by replenishment of dealers stocks thar
other industries, the iron manufacture
has been pushed to further expansion b,
growing demand for finished products
which has caused a little further advance
in prices.
Failures for the week have been 10.
IN the United States, against 299 last year
and "a in Canada. against 46 last year"
As Viewed by Bradstreet.
Bradstreet's says:
General trade is marked by increased
activity in wool, hides, iron and steel anc
their manufactured products. but bust.
ness In the quarantined districts remain.
at standstill, and at all except a few
northwestern distributing centers in sprns
wheat states, where business is relatively
most active, there Is a check to the de.
mand for dry goods, hats and clothing
Favorable reports come from region ex.
tending from Knoxville to st. Paul an6
from Omaha to Milwaukee The tend
ency is to increase estimates Of the whea
crops and increase the probable yield o,
cotton. The prices movement shows g
long list of unchanged quotations this
week. including various iron and stee
staples, wool, hides, print cloths, lumber
nails. copper, pork, beef. coffee and sugar
Increases are confined to nominal ad.
vance for anthracite coal, % cents for Bes.
semer pig iron, fractional gains for lea,
tobacco, naval stores. butter, lard and an.
other advance for wooden goods Potatoes
have reacted from the extremely high
prices at the west and cotton is off further
Lead is lower, as are corn, oats and foul
in sympathy with wheat, which droppe6
cents on BradsItreet's reported increase OF
nearly 1o,00o,0O0 bushels in the worlds Wis.
ible stocks.
THE total number of business failures tr
the United States for nine months report
ed by Bradstreet's Is $685. a decrease of i
per cent. from the corresponding total la 81
year; but per cent. more than In 1891
and II per cent. fewer than in the CORE
| sponling period of 1898. This years fail
Ing corporations, firms and individuals re
| ports $l1S4S4 900 liabilities, total 80 ne,
| cent smaller thansJne year ago; about
| per cent. larger than in nine months o.
1895 and of 1884, and 64 per cont less thar
In the corresponding period of 1893 The
rate of failure in proportion to the nun
| Der In business is decreasing With refer
| ence to liabilities the falling off is notice
| ably rapid"
FAST WORK ON LINOTYPE.