The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-13

BRADSTEET ON THE CONDITION
AND PROSPECT OF BUSINESS.
The Movemeat Of Prices On the Whole Show
Favorable Gains s-Review Of Wool Market.

Il
| New York, Feb. 1S.-Bradstreet's says
The more favorable features OF the
business week include sales OF 3O0.0 .00(
tons OF steel rails on the collapse OF the
| pool, which promises work for the mills
| for some months to come; the advance
| In the price or print cloths. following the
rale of 10000 pieces from accumulate ed
stocks, and the starting up OF numbe.
of important aletal and other industrial
establishments throughout the eastern
and middle states.
TIE recent reduction in the price OF
steel billets OF IS a ton. while rails were
reduced only 80. foreshadowed another
cut in rail prices or the breaking up OF
the pool. The latter finds prices from
~ TO - lower than last week One
effect will be to stimulate exports oi
rails. demand for domestic bessemer
pig iron and for ore. and consumption
o. Iron and steel generally. There is
moderate increase In demand for pig
iron at Pittsburg. and purchases have
been made by st. Louis stove makers
Considerable activity Is reported In hem
lock leather for which the price is high.
er. and American purchases of wool
at the late London sale amounted ia
$4,000 bales, the heaviest total at any
Cne such sale since the speculative buy.
ing there by Americans prior to the GO
lag into effect Of the Nc cKinley tariff.
Memphis reports revived interest Ii
shoes and clothing. and Birmingham
and Jacksonville a moderate increase
I'm the volume of trade. as sprins
approaches. Louisville collections have
improved, and orders for spring goods
at st. Louis have increased. Chicago
dry goods jobbers report only a moderate
gain, but at st. Paul sales Of dry goods
shoes. groceries. hardware, drugs and
millinery are the most encouraging fol
any week thus far this year.
At most other. among the more impor.
tant, western and central western cities,
trade remains quiet and unchanged
with little prospect for an early i'm.
provement. Omaha reports business:
dull. and at Galveston. where distribu.
tion of merchandise has been fairly
active. the reverse Is now true. Trade is
dull and unsatisfactory at Cleveland. and
Charleston advises that collections ars
behind.
The movement Of prices is, on the
whole. favorable. gains. in addition Il
those for print cloths. leather and bes
semer pig iron. being reported for tur
pentine, lead. zinc and sugar. Firm and
unchanged prices are announced fol-
-four wheat, pork, lard. coffee. petro
leum. copper. and for steel billets
while in addition to lower prices for stee
rails are those for Indian corn, oats, and
cotton.
January gross railway earnings re.
feet the quieter trade in that month
than in January 1896, while showing
the effect OF reduced grain tonnage and
cevere storms in the northwest. Every
group OF American roads shows fall
ing or from January a year ago. In.
creases in January are few and small
the largest being only slightly in exces,
of $4,000, while II systems show de-
creases in excess OF that amount Heavi
est decreases from January year ago
are reported by the Pacific and Granger
groups, while smallest losses are by the
southern roads. Total earnings of II,
railroad companies for January aggre
gate S34.560,S27. a falling off OF 6.S pei
cent from a year ago. compared with
decrease or 1is per cent i'm December
from December. 1896, and 10 per cent
IN November from the total in thai
month year before. January earn.
inSs. 1896, increased 11.3 per cent ovei
January, 1895. Mexican roads gained
1873 per cent in January over year
ago.
Exports or wheat (nour included n.
'vhea) from both coasts OF the Unitec
States and from st. John. n. r.. amount
to 2.5o1.455 bushels. from Feb. 8 TO Feb
10. inclusiSe Cthe week being one day
shorD as compared with 3.l6S. .00l
bushels last week. 2,7tS.C00 bushels in the
week year ago. 2.512.0 600 bushels in the
week two years ago, 100000 bushels
three years ago, and as contrasted with
3,0S0.000 bushels in the corresponding
week Of 1888. Exports OF Indian corr
during the same period show very
large gain. amounting to Abba bush.
| els. as compared with 1863 900 bushe.
last week. 3,i4S0o0 bushels in the week q
| year ago. $4,000 bushels I'm the weel
| two years ago, 1520. coo bushels three
years ago. and as contrasted witI 7f2,.
| 200 bushels in the corresponding week
| of 1895.
Gross and net returns of leading rail.
roads for the calendar year 1896 show
| striking similarity as to volume tc
| those of 1895. Total gross receipts Of
| 20 companies give total OF s72S $50, :.
z09 for 1896. falling off OF only about
s2.0O0.000. or two tcnths OF I per cent
from 1895, while net earnings aggregate
500. az. a decrease of nine tenths Of
I per cent from the total I'm the preced-
ing year. For December gross earnings
fell of per cent, while net earnings de.
creased 1.3 per cent from those for 1895.
Review of Wool Market
Boston. Feb. 13.-The Boston CONNER.
cial Bulletin says: The wool sales
have shown a sharp falling off from the
boom. This is only natural. Manu-
facturers and spcculatoSs have gorged
-..A Io