Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-12-18
DUN'S REPORT.
Business So Close to the Holidays Border:
. on Phenomenal.

New York. Dec FIR. G. Dun &, Co. in
their weekly review of trade will say:
Close to its annual holiday and halt. the
business of the year is surprisingly large.
Payments through banks are again pa
per cent larger than in 1892. heretofore
the year of greatest prosperity: the pro-
duction of iron and woolens and boots
ana shoes is larger than ever before eS-
ports eclipse all past records. and failures
Tor two weeks have been the smallest for
corresponding weeks in five years Prob
ably all records are surpassed by exports
Tor this year. which have been 1914. 500 0o0
IN ii months. and the excess over imports
in five months has probably exceeded
$2S9. .00e, eco -. -
The output of pig iron. Dec. |. was the
greatest ever known. 226, 02i tons against
2l3.l19 Nov. |. and lI,306 in November.
1888. the highest point heretofore.
Wheat is just now the backbone of for
elSn relations, and Atlantic exports in
Two weeks have been. flour included T.
sSo,9i2 bushels against 5.413,3s2 last year.
Inc price gained a fraction in spite of the
speculative decline in Chicago. Corn ex-
ports continue to exceed last wears in
two weeks. 6.326 S9i bushels. against 5.07l
626 last year. which is a particularly sig
nihcant feature. The price rose but a
traction. and receipts in two weeks were
So23.G G0l bushels, against 5,f49.1S1 last year.
Cotton does not change in price althoue h
tainty about spinning at Fall River has
some effect. The cotton manufacture is
in difficulty. due to production last wear
far in excess OF demand. and to partia |
transfer of the demand to Southern mills.
While domestic and export sales have
been large, they are behind a production
exceeding that of the best previous years
Northern and Southern included. and the
effort to straighten things by a reduction
of wages presumably involves q strike
n nd rI.fy of
orally weak, and the range of prices is
now the lowest ever known. the reduction
in bleached goods. prints and wide sheet
ngs have caused considerable increase
in the demand.
The demand for wooden goods is in
areasing, and some mills are in the mark
ket providing for a greater production,
though most are still waiting, and the
wool market is remarkably dull, sales at
the three chief points being 1890. 100
rounds, against Is. O0.10O last year. 17.179.-
10 in 1895 and 1864 100 in 1892 While
prices are said to be held without change
manufacturers are hunting for bargains
md foreign wool in considerable quantity
IS coming this way Prices of wooden
goods do not change. and transactions
thus far made in heavy goods for next
season appear to be mainly at previous
prices.
In actual performance the boot and
shoe industry runs ahead of all others
because 1t surpaSses its greatest weekly
shipments from the East by 5000 cases,
and its shipment for half of December
last year by 23 per cent. and those of 1892
by 80 per cent Accounts show great ex-
haustion of jobbers' stocks and demands
for immediate delivery of goods sold
ahead, while orders formerly withdrawn
At advanced prices are now renewed. 1t
IS worth while to note that Western re-
ports show similar extraordinary de-
mand for immediate delivery of goods,
with factories pushed to their capacity.
The West is buying largely in Eastern
markets, while Southern business is rela-
lively small. Leather is unchanged.
Failures for the week have been 800 in
the United States, against 3S7 last year
and Is in Canada. against II last year.