The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-09
FIRST week OF YEAR.
What Bradstreet's Review Says Of
Business Conditions
General Dullness Reported
+, From Most Sections.



New York. Jan. s-Bradstreet's to-
day says:
With the exception Of reports from
dozen South Atlantic coast and Gulf
state cities. Jobbers at nearly all distrib-
uting centers say business is dull and
without new features. Demand has I'm
proved at Chicago and st. Louis for hats.
hardware, shoes and dry goods. but
trade In these lines is fair only. Colder
weather has stimulated purchases of
clothing at some points. Little general
recovery from holiday dullness is re-
ported as yet. At most centers statesmen
are just starting out. Collections are re-
ported unsatisfactory, but In many In
stances merchants express themselves
as hopeful of a good spring business.
December bank clearings reflect the
quiet condition Of trade In that month.
Total clearings at 68 cities for the
month aggregate 81, ,6S9, ,043, ,000 decrease
of nearly per cent from a year ago, but
q gain of 2.3 per cent over January, 1886,
the heaviest months total in that year.
Compared with December, 1894, the in
crease is 9.3 per cent, and with Decem-
ber, 1893, more than IS per cent. Two
groups of cities show increases for De-
cember over year ago-the New Eng
land group per cent, and the south
western with a gain OF 5.6 per cent. The
heaviest decrease Is that shown in the
middle states, 81 per cent. For the CAL
endar year 1896 total clearings at 6S cities
aggregate S5l, ,0iS, ,9S2, ,909, a decrease from
1895 of 3.9 per cent Every group of cities
elbows a greater or less decrease. OF rs
ntt rad n
one-third. report gains and so report
losses.
Total bank clearings for the week
ending JAM Zone day SHORTY, amount
to $1,145, ,000,0 900. an increase over the
total lh the preceding week, also one
day short, Of 20 per cent, an extraordinary
heavy gain. Clearings for the past week
are also noteworthy for being only per
cent less than the corresponding total
in the first week of January, 1896, which
included six full business days. AS con-
trasted with the first week In January.
1895. this weeks cleariEgs show gain of
10 per cent, and they are nearly IA per
cent larger than in the corresponding pc
riod of 1894, while only IA per cent less
than the very heavy total in the like
week Of 1893, five months before the panic
in that year.
There Ia no change in the wool market.
manufacturers declining to buy until
they receive orders for goods. More
strength las been shown by boots and
shoes since the first of the week. Iron
and steel have been disappointing. as
consumers evidently anticipate a further
reduction in prices and refuse to place
orders. The week has been marked by
exceptionally heavy orders OF southern
pig iron for export. Cotton goods re-
main as depressed. and the market Is as
unsatisfactory as heretofore, with lower
prices reported.
Total stocks of available wheat. both
coasts, United States and Canada, Jan.
/, are the smallest for any like date for
five years. and supplies Of wheat afloat
for and In Europe on Jan. are similarly
the smallest Except for Jan. I, 1S95) for
five years. The past six months of the
cereal year shows net increase of wheat
stocks, United States and Canada, of
less than 15,000,000 bushels, the smallest
like increase since these records have
been compiled, only one-thlrd of the total
net decrease in this country and Canada
during the first six months Of 1896. Ear
lier wheat crop reports by northwestern
interests, that the export surplus of
Jan. /, 1897, for the cereal year ending
June 30, 1897, are met by the recent an
nouncement that the export surplus, in
cluding reserves for July i, next, amount
to 100, ,000, 900 bushels, and that wheat
continues to go abroad weekly In spite
OF the calculations and estimates that we
have no more to spare.
Exports OF wheat (dour included as
wheat from both coasts OF the United
States this week amount to 3,10S,68
bushels. as compared with 2.707, 900 BUSH
els last week, 3,47l 900 bushels in the cor
responding week Of 1895, 2.i09. 900 BUSH
els in the like week Of 1894, and as con-
sSu su, u! sIsusnq 00o'Soee Q,IM pslspI,
period Of 1898. Total exports of Indian
Corn this week, amounting to 4819,261
bushels. constitutes the largest weeks
aggregate shipments reported. Last
week the total was 2,742, 900 bushels. and
IN the week one year ago II was 2.626,000
bushels. In the hrst week Of January,
1896. the aggregate was 1,067 900 bushels.
and in the like week OF 1894 1t was !, 1,570,-
600 bushels, while in the corresponding
week In 1893 the total was 1924. 900 bushels.
The weeks total Of business failures
throughout the United States is &SS. one
of the largest ever reported. This Is con-
trasted with 329 In the last week of 1896,
with A8 In the hrst week Of 1896, 405 in the
corresponding week Of 1895. and with 4S6
In the like portion of 1894.
Dun's Review.
New York, Jan. Or. G. Dun q Co..
In their weekly review Of trade. say:
The year 1897 begins with one clear ad-
vantage; the past year has swept out Of
the way great number Of unsound con-
serns which In any time Of activity would
have been dangerous to business. Ofthe
1926 commercial and banking fall
ures In 1896, with liabilities Of $276 s1b.74s
q large share represented crippling losses
in previous years, or the violence or
speculative storms In 1895 or the first half