Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-12-16
The BUSINESS SITUATION.

Rradstreet's, in it's review Of Dusi-
NESS conditions Of last week suys:
lid weather throughout most of the
country has interiered to rome extent
with The distributions OF winter weight
clnthing aud other seusonahle goods,
and trade from first hands is quioter
even than last week. Jobbers and re
tailers, however, report a steadily in
creasng and, in some sections. very
active business in holiday goods,
groceries and kindred products. Re
ports from the South continue, as d
whole, very good. with specially fayora
bile accounts from New Orleans, A tlanta,
Nashville and the Central South. Col
lections ale, as a rule, generally very
satisfactory, in spite of the low price Of
cotton. Favorable reports come from
Chicago, Kansas City, st. Louis and
ST. Paul in tho Central West and North
west, while the Pacific coast notes q
heavy Increase in trade, present and
contingent. bnsed upon enlarged Alaskan
demand. San Francisco reports the
wheat crop improved by recent rains,
with conservative estimates pointing to
yield of 1915, 600 tons. General export
trade on the coast ia very heavy. The
price situation is ore of sustained and
even aggressive strength. The index
number of ninety. eight leading staples
showed a perceptible increase during
the month of November, and further
Improvement is indicated this week.
The railroad interests of the country
are enjoying prosperous times. For
the month Of November they show tho
heaviest gain in amount and percentage
in n
Bark coarings are again very heavy,
the 'otal at II cities for tine past week
aggr,gating 81, 49,, 600, 600, gain OF 2
per cent over last week, of % per cent
over The week year ago, of -. 6 per
cent over 1894, and of p per cent over
1896. Compared with ths year 1892,
when charings approached the maxi
mum of recent years, the Decrease is
only CT psr cent. When compared with
1891 the Increase is H. per cent. "
r. q. Drn & &c. q Review asserts
that the optning of Congress, with tbs
Presidents message and reports, has
not discouraged business, as some pre-
dicted, but all speculative markats
are stronger taan week ago. This
productive industries, even in the
season usually about the dullest of
the year as to new orders, meet q
definite improvement 10 demand for
important products, presumably the
fruit of prevailing conviction that new
business will begin to crowd the works
after the now year starte. The outward
movement of wheat and other products
continues SO heavy that foreign OK
change has fallen three-q quarters OF a
cent, and instead of exports of gold,
which have marked December in recent
years, imports would come if gold we're
wanted, as New York credits against
| foreign bankers exceed Sl2, GOO, 600.
Securities are advancing with reason
in the increased earnings of railways.
A striking comparison of five years
| show that in each of the last three
months the earnings nave been greater
than 10 any previnus year, with a
larger increase in November than in
October or September. Extensive pay
ment of debts throughout the country,
including some of Northwestern eleva.
tors to New York banks, has made
money abundant and brought over
81, 600, 600 here within the week, re
ducing commercial loans to minimum.
Failures in the first week of Decem-
Der were but 2,6l7, $40, manufaG.
turing $3.50, 420 and trading 81, 79l, $40.
Failures for the week have been 312 in
the United States against $50 last year.
and 20 in Canada against 43 last year. u
The weekly latter of Hambleton q
Co. Of Baltimore takes this view oil
the situation:
The course of the New York market
during the past week again illustrates
the fact that anticipated events, good
or bad, are invariably discounted in
advance, through an advance or decline
in prices.
For sixty days before the assembling
of Congress duness and depression
prevailed, upon the theory that Con
gress would be disturbing factor anC
that prices would probably be lower.
And yet, upon the assembling of Con
gress, prices rapidly advance ant
great activity prevails.
To be sure, it was hardly expected
that the Administration would so cue
cessfully have managed the Cubar
question as to laavo the lingo states
men scarcely log to stand upon.
However, the situation has radically
changed, and for the better and from I
state of rather gloomy foreboding W,
have emerged into period of activit.
and improved values.
Will it last? Why not? Does not tn,
balance of trade continue to he i'm
mediately in favor OF this country ant
are we not piling IN an increasing
credit on the other sideP Is il not
TACT that our exports are growing dali,
larger and larger and that every steame
which leaves our PORTS adds to the oh
ligatlons Of Europe to this country? i
it not true that il we desired AMI
needed it we could command 800, 200,
600 in gold and that our immensl
balances are left on the other side onl.
on sutrerance and because money il
worth more 10 Europe Than in thii
country?
Again. is it not fact that our rail
roads arc doing a fine business ant
showing very largely increased earning
and are not our farmers happy ant
prosperous with wheat at Sl.10 pc
hushel and with good crops of every
thing which grows? And are not gu
factories and furnaces running and OH
laboring classes are they not reasonably
vol employedg
1t seems to us that we are in prett.
good condition und have conaiderahl
cause to be thankful even il we "hay,
Congress on our hands.