The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-13
SIGNS OF PROSPERITY SEEN
AN EXPANDING DEMAND FOR MOST
OF THE STAPLES.

Continued Activity in Various Indus
trial Lines Reported with Fairly
Steady Prices-Railway EARNINGS
Improving Widespread Conf
dence That the Volume of BUSH
ness Will Expand Materially in
the Near Future-SIight Falling on
in Bank CIearings.
New York. March 12-Bradstreets to-
morrow, will say: Continued activity in
various industrial lines, based on an ex-
banding consumptive demand, fairly
steady prices for staples, further improve
ment in railway earnings and widespread
confidence that the volume of business
will expand materially in the near flu
ture, constitute the trade features of the
week.
''Jobbers at Chicago and st. Louis DO
not find the activity expected at this
time, but report a fairly steady request
by mail order and visiting buyers
Industrial revival has been offset in
some instances by the closing of mills and
factories, and in others by operation de-
pendent upon paying reduced wages.
in excess of the demand, notwithstanding
curtailment of output.
"Wool continues active and firm in
price, but manufacturers are buying spar
ingly in addition to requirements to meet
present contracts.
1.-THE central west and northwest re-
port the distribution of general merchan-
;v,to
outs.
Bank clearings, as trade barometer,
point to a temporary check to the ten
dency to increase noted earlier in the
year, the week total, 1926, 100000, being
s per cent. less than last week. and per
cent. less than in the second week of
March, 1896.
February gross railway earnings tend
to improve, although comparisons with
that month in 1885, still favor last year.
Total earnings of 116 railroads for Feb
ruary this year aggregate S34, 1888 a
decrease of seven-tenths of one per cent.
from the total for February, 1896. This is
a better showing than in January, or in
any month since September. The coalers,
trunk lines and the southwestern roads
all show gains in February over a year
ago, whereas, in January not one group
of American roads showed an increase.
a feature of February earnings.
Business failures continue to decrease,
the total for the week being 227, against
262 last week, and 2S2 in the week a year
ago."
r. G. Dun & CO. will say tomorrow in
their weekly review of trade: 1T is a
curious illustration of human nature, this
continued Encouragement even while the
increase of productive industries and of
legitimate business steadily grows No
genuine or lasting Improvement could
come otherwise than slowly and step by
step, after such a depression as the past
four years have witnessed, and the most
hopeful feature of the situation is that
the gain is so nearly devoid of elements
which involve unsoundness and probable
reaction. The money markets continue
especially favorable to industrial recov-
cry, and there is no such speculative cpl
demic as to lock up an excessive share of
available capital.
Cotton is not active, though a six
teenth higher, for the curtailment of con-
sumption by many mills does not yet help
prices In the least, nor the suspension of
print cloth reports, and dealers so gener-
ally hold back orders for other goods that
the tone is weak. The speculation in wool
continues and sales for the two weeks
have been 17,9O3,9O0 pounds, whereas the
| largest previous sales for the same pc
Rod were 12O17676 pounds in 1892. While
| there is much trade between dealers man
ufacturors show by purchasing far beyond
their present wants, the belief that larger
| business is coming.
Iron furnaces March l. were producing
1926 tons weekly, 7,0N tons or four per
cent. more than Feb. I. and although wish
| BILE stocks have increased S0,024 tons in
four weeks, still more furnaces have start
| ed this month. The demand for finished
products still lags behind the supply of
| pig iron, except in the great steel works,
whose stocks are not reported, but their
orders without doubt cover full produce
ton for several months. Bessemer pig is
a shade lower but no other change in
quotations appears. and there is gradual
! increase IN the demand for plates sheets
and all the wire family OF products. with
the advent of spring ard outdoor work
much more business Is expected.
"The starting of the Maryland rail
works under contract by the Carnegie
| company, in order to make shipments by
water more cheaply is significant.
THE volume of business shown by
clearings is but is per cent smaller than
| last year.
Failures for the past week have been
| 25s In the United States, against 800 last
year. and 81 In Canada, against 90 last
YEAR,