Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-12-14
BUSINESS IS GOOD.
Evidence Of Continued Improve
ment in Trade.
FAILURES LESS THAN A YEAR AGO.
Voluntary Advance In Wages Acct
ing 10000 Employees in the Wool
and Iron Industries-surpriss
in Wheat Market.

NEW 4OrK, Oec. Tx. u. Ouu IN their
weekly review Of trade say:
1.-The monthly report of failures shows
defaulted liabilities OF I'll .610. 1st in Novem-
Der. against $12, 700.s5s last year. Because
Of three large failures for .ooo not due
to present conditions the aggregate In No
vember was only n.10o.ooo less than last
year. and except for these would have
been smaller than in August, September OF
October. The decrease in nearly al
branches OF business shows that payments
have been remarkably good and defaults
unusually small. Other evidences OF the
state Of business are convincing, except in
speculative lines. Wages have been vol
UNFAIRLY advanced for nearly 5000 workers
In woolens and iron.
The Steel Industry.
dustries. but at least one other furnace
has gone into blast. and the lowest price
OF Bessemer at Pittsburgh, after pur.
chases of $4,000 tons. Is slo.l6 per ton. with
&926 for gray forge. Eastern holders are
sometimes impatient and yet sure that
January will bring large demand, and
meanwhile the award OF ship plate con-
tant help. though the demand for bars 10
slow at the east and at Pittsburgh. but 10
really stronDat Chicago for agricultural
and railway supplies.
Wool and Cotton.
1.-THE voluntary advance OF % per cent.
in wages Of worsted workers at Providence,
restoring the rates Of 1898, is evidence Of
the prosperity Of that manufacture. After
much hesitation in order branches. which
may be Justified. this important depart
ment OF the wooden industry puts itself
at the front. virtually declaring its ability
to face any foreign competition. The pur-
chases Of Australian wool at Boston
have again been large, 2,4s5.ooo pounds
out Of 6170,70o pounds OF all wool
at the chief markets. against $751;
800 pounds for the same week last year.
But other markets are extremely quiet and
Boston is doing the selling at prices not
named. No gain appears In the cotton
manufacture, and the low price OF cotton
still binders the buying of goods. Lower
prices than have ever been known are
quoted for print cloths. and also for some
grades of prints, and the average Of cotton
goods is remarkably lower.
The Wheat Market.
1.-THE wheat market has deceived every
body, dropping In the face Of an enormous
foreign demand Just when some advance
might reasonably have been anticipated.
The western receipts, e.SS2,425 bushels,
against 1864. 6n last year for the week, and
for five weeks aS.9626a9 bushels, against
2O.S71, ass last year for the same weeks. are
just now more impressive in the market
than the Atlantic exports. which have been
4,1S7,672 bushels, flour included, for the
week, against 2.079,457 last year, and for
five weeks 1857. Al bushels. against 9.817.-
los for the same weeks last year. But In
the long run the outward movement will
affect prices. although the surprisingly
large increase at the west indicates q con-
siderably greater yield than has been an
ticipated. So the enormous receipts Of cot
ton from plantations, exceeding those to
date from the great crop of about 10, 000. 900
bales in 1894, tend to check all speculation,
although both foreign and domestic de-
mands for spinners have been materially
anticipated.
Failures for the week have been s06 in
the United States. against $40 last year,
and 2S In Canada. against IS last year"
Bradstreet's View,
Bradstreet's says:
General trade throughout the country
has presented rather more animation,
ing holidays. While clothing. dry goods
hats, shoes and notions. hardware and
fancy groceries have been In q little better
demand from both jobbers and at retail
in the region tributary to Chicago, ST.
Louis. Omaha, st. Joseph. st. Paul and
Kansas City, the tendency Of business has
been to slacken. This is noticeable In iron
and steel and in further depression In cot
ton goods. print cloths having made new
low record In price.
1.-THE appearance Of a better demand for
flling-in purposes has had favorable in
fuence at points in Tennessee and the
gulf states. On the Pacific coast the fea-
ture OF business is the well-maintained
export movement from nearly all ports
The domestic grain trade continues to
look with equanimity on the unprecedented
ly large quantities Of wheat exported from
both coasts week after week, the continp-
alton Of which is an evidence Of an appre-
c!atioc OK the relation Of supply to demand
by the grain trade Abroad