The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-03-20
THE BUSINESS OUTLOOK.


THE BUSINESS OUTLOOK.
(From Bradstreet's ssState of Trade.'')
Another week of irregular trade brings
an element of disturbance in the outlook
for a fight over the new tariff bill, and
the disappointment among manufacturers
of woolien goods. silks, cutlery and other
lines at various tariff schedules. Spring
trade in jobbing lines is over, collections
are slow, and at many points there is no
change in demand or supply, except a
request is for cheaper grades OF goods.
Threatened overflows in the central and
southern Mississippi valley have restrict
ed the country order trade, and rain and
high water lave exercised a similar in
luence In the Ohio valley and In south
Atlantic and Gulf States. The movement
of general merchandise is also checked
at the northwest by ~unfayorable weather..
Deep SHOWS in western Minnesota and the
eastern DakotaS have almost suspended
business in that region, and railway traf-
fc is at a standstill. South Dakota live
stock has not wintered as well as usual,
and heavy losses are reported. The de-
mand for cotton goods is disappointing,
and manufacturers v moved some
| lines only at concessions in price. Iron
and steel industries appear less likely to
expand in the near future. Practically
lower prices for Bessenner~ pig and Tor
biilets seem to have been the result OF
speculative overpurchasing at the late
revival in expectation of an advance,
which has not shown itself. Delay in fix
ing lake ore prices has also had an intiu-
ence. There is less demand for American
iron and steel for export, particularly for
| northern products
At most of the larger centres the feel
| ing of encouragement IS stronger among
merchants at the prospect for continued
| Improvement in trade, yet the increase IN
volume of business in dry goods, grocer
| les, hats and clothing compared with pre-
l.ceding weeks and with like weeks in prev
iouS years does not equal a~nticipations
There IS an Improvement in demand for
wool, for which prices are higher. East
| ern wool manufacturers report more M
| Quiry for goods. though the condition of
this industry still leaves much to be de-
| sired. Prospects of the wheat crop IN
the State Of Washington are excellent.
The newly developed Pacific coast export
trade is marked by q shipment ct doors,
| TO South Africa, and trade advices from
Texas are more favorable than for a
| month.
An additional favorable feature is found
in the tendency of prices, those for
| wheat, corn, oats, pork, lard and sugar,
| quotations for print cloths, cotton, pc
| troleum and lumber are firm and un-
| changed. In additions to reactions IN
\ -four and coffee are lower.
The total bank clearings the
| country amount 10 1851, 900 for six
| business days ending with March Is, an
| increase of 2.S per cent. over the preced-
ing week, but a decrease of a like pro-
portion compared with the corresponding
| exhibit In 1895, this weeks total shows
no change. but compared with the Hk
| total in 1894 the current weeks clearings
| show an increase of II per cent. Com
| pared with like weeks in 1893 and 1892. the
| falling off mounts to q and q per cent.
| respectively.
Foreign trade totals tend to lessen as
the year advances, and monthly imports
| are approaching nearer a parity with ex-
ports. February exports exceeded those
I 90 10 CT oar 2 & nor cant fhnSn. of 1S1,
by Al per cent. and of 1894 by q per cent.
| February imports were 81 per cent.
smaller h last year, but the excess of
February exports over imports was only
| "a per cent, against Sc per cent. in Jana-
| airy over January, 1896. and nearly 10 per
| cent. in December and previous months
| in 1895. Export have exceeded imports
| since September, 1895, and the excess for
| eight months is 1912, 47S, $40, or 70 per cent.
! Eight months imports are 2l.9 per cent.
| smaller than last year, but exports are 21.3
| per cent. larger. Shipments of breadstuffs
and cotton, among agricultural products,
| and. OF many classes of manufactured
| goods, account for the large favorable
| export balance. There has been an in
| crease OF late in the value of imports
| of duty-free goods liable to be taxed UNI
| der the new tariff bill
Stock speculation at New York is broad
| err and attracts some renewed outside in
| terest. A sharp bear attack and decline
| I'M Missouri Pacific was recovered, and Eu-
| ropean war complications and consequent
4 I-t III oAl AAAaA A1ito 1NbF ALLbA1
| effect. The Vanderbilt stocks head the
| dvane on reports, of further finding OPP
| erations or consultations Speculative
| sentiment Is influenced favorably by talk
| Of an improvement in trade and the pos
| sibflty Of a curtailmert of the usual agi-
| alton ON the new tariff bill in Congress.
| Bar silver is weak at the lowest price
| in two years ON the proposed change by
| Japan to a gold standard. Exchange is
| steady ait 4.S7@4.S7h for demand sterling.
Exports of wheat {lour included as
4 -L-zk f-o~ Io4h ocfcI fhjc vyfaoE irHi-l
| cate a continuation Of the recent check to
| the export movement, amounting to 1,629,-
| 1874 bushels, compared with l,559,0 0 bushels
I Vast week, 1852, 900 bushels in the third
| week of March, 1896 2,998,00 bushels in
| the like week of 1895, 2,343, 900 bushels in
| 1894, and as cortrasted with 2,766, 600 bushels
| in the corresponding period of 1893. Ex-
| ports Of Indian corn, On the other hand,
| continue very heavy, amounting to $685.
| 31S bushels this week, compared with 5,3l0,-
goo bshels last week, 6o2 Ooo bushels in the
| I.119.000 bushels in 1894, and as contrasted
| with 9O4.O bushels DIN the corresponding
| period OF 1888.
| From r. 6. Dun & Co.'S Weekly Re
/ view.
Though steadily Increasing, business IS
| still much below it's volume In former
| disappointment. Yet there is some gam
every week. with more hands at work,
1 and more mills in operation, and the sure
| result. larger purchases for consumption,
| cannot be long delayed. In some branches
| Sf is felt already. There is larger d.stri-
| button of finished products, and the de-
| nland for commercial loans has sharply
| increased, especially in dry goods and
| the iron and steel branches. At this
| city there has also been an abnormal de-
| mamd, owing to the senseless craze of
| dealers to get dlnported goods out Of the
| 4 new tariff bill between breakfast and
| iunsh time. Business payments have
! the sfate of foreign exchanges Is still
! without any unfavorable feature. not
| yfthStanGNQlg the uncertain aspect of
| European Afaars. Large foreign sales of
| stock have not affected the market. The