The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-30
That Is the Word Used By Both
Dun and Bradstreet
To Express the Condition of
Business In January.
PRICES DO NOT RISE.
Those Who Have Made Large
Investments
On the Strength of Bright
Promises Have Not Profited.

4NcW OIhs jail OU.-fl W. O0AA ~
Co. IS weekly review of trade says:
January has been a month of disap-
pointment, but of real gain. Nearly ev-
erybody had promised himself land of
milk and honey after New Years, and
the slow progress looks like a standstiH
to men in such a state of mind. More
over, there are muItitudes throughout
the country who have been taking
large ventures in advance or apart from
their regular business because they ex-
pected a rise in prices. But prices fail
yet to bring them profit.
Wheat has declined severely, cotton
has scarcely risen enough to pay brok-
erage, wool holds steady in spite OF
enormous buying, wooden goods hardly
change in price, iron and products de-
cline, leather is sluggish, hides are
lower, for some shoe manufac turers ac-
cept a shade lower prices, the average
of railroad stocks is slightly lower than
it was December 81, and the advance in
trust stocks has been small. To traders
in such properties the month has been
disappointing. Yet during the past
week the record shows that ten iron
works have started and only two have
stopped, 10 wooden works have started
and nine more are about ready to start,
while three have stopped. Similar
things are seen in other Industries and
the additional establishments are not
starting without some increase in or
derS received.
The decline in wheat was over cents
in spite of official report of yield far
below estimates generally accepted.
which reflects perception of the error of
the report and also of influence of
enormous exports of corn instead of
wheat, $4,000, 600 bushels in seven
months. When two bushels of corn can
be had for less than one bushel of wheat
it is largely preferred in European
markets, and in January 7,S59,l27 bush
els of corn have gone abroad from At
lantic ports against 5,33S, 349 last year,
! while Atlantic RXDOftS of wheat and
flour have been 6, 5s6, 154 bushels against
S,403 765 last year.
| AS the great crop of corn prevents
much advance in its price, its OutgO af-
! fects the demand for wheat and very
| heavy liquidation of speculation has Oc-
CURED with the price of corn scarcely
i changing.
The largest article of export at this
season goes out freely, but cotton looks
| less attractive to traders, because the
American millers are laboring over
/ plans to reduce great surplus of goods
| and prices of many have declined. TAX
fings of northern spinners have been in
| five months $4,000 bales less than last
year and 42S,0 900 bales less than in 1884,
! '95.
Sales of wool in January have never
| been surpassed in that month nor in
| any other month except in July of 1895
| and 1896. In the earlier years sudden
| demand FOR consumption was the cause,
| but the increase in orders for wooden
| goods was small in November and had
| DSen small III JANUARY, COlIlpdISd Will
| the purchases on anticipated possible
! dullness.
Iron and steel show little gain, pro-
| duction having increased 50 heavily be
| fore and the gradual enlargement of
demand for finished products has not
| overtaken that increase. Lower prices
result for beSsemer pig, grey forge and
for southern iron a t Chicago; for angles
| and cut nails, and the average of all
! quotations is the lowest since early last
! year For sheets there is an active
demand, and better also for bars, on
account of much car building. Tin and
copper a shade stronger, but competi-
ton causes sales of tin plates 10 to 10
cents below the agreed price Fail
ures for the week have been 331 in the
| United States, against zO4 last year, and
| 81 in Canada against 20 last year.
BRADSTREETS
Bradstreet's says: There has been a
| falling off in general trade. resulting
| from the heavy fall of snow and cold
! weather There is a moderate increase
| in distribution of heavy winter goods,
| but commercial travellers very generally
| report buyers as even more conserva-
| tive than earlier in the month and that
| wholesale trading in January, except in
! lines specified, is smaller than for years
! Mercantile collections are interrupted
! and the improvement looked for in iron
| and steel is not in sight. The most
| favorable feature of the business week
is the sudden and sharp falling off in the
| total number of business failures in the
| United states, the dSSISSdlc pciA1S 90,
| as compared with 429 last week, de-
crease of 102. When compared with
| the corresponding week of 1896, this
| weeks falling off is but 81, but there is
| an increase of IA as compared with the
| like week in 1885 Contrasted with the
| like period in 1894, there have been IA
fewer failures this week than three
| years ago.
The total number of business failures
| throughout the Canadian dominion this
| week is So. Last week the total was
81 and last year it was So, while in the
| week two years ago it was 95 and in the
corresponding period of 1894 it was If.
| There have been increased sales OF
hides and leather in some places, OF
shoes, of coal, fertilizers and southern
pig iron for export
The downward movement of prices
for some of the more important staples
continues conspicuous, notably for
-four wheat. oats, lard, coffee, petrole-
/ UNI, turpentine and tin plate Quota
tons for Indian corn, pork, sugar, cot
ton and print cloths are practically un-
| changed. Concessions have been made
in prices for iron and steel, yet quota
tions are noninally unchanged Elk
| ports of wheat C1our included as wheat)
from both coasts this week amount tC
| 2155, 408 bushels as compared with p
916, 900 last week, :. $50, 900 in the week
years ago, 2,0S3, 600 three years ago, and
| as contrasted with 1923, 600 in the cor
| responding week of 1898. Exports OF
| Indian corn amount to 3,011. SOP bushels
| this week compared with g, $50 600 last
| week, 3,197, 900 in the week a year ago
| 942 600 in the week two years ago, 3
IA, 900 three years ago, and as contrast
ed with 100000 in the like week Of
1898.