The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-25
THE STATE or TRADE.


aFAIs-
The weekly reports show a remarkably
large holiday trade. at many lAatlts ne
largest Tor I'VE years Moreover, At atsaS
season. waen "a3.ssass sS.lnsSss ~ az,
mediate delivery. watch results fr"sh At-
pTsceaSnte3 distribution 20 CUSTOMERS.
Keeps maae Establishments AZ N9 5t .L.saA
usually begin their yss9lS rest sAetss soaae-
what earlier. Instead. ~ dsCisassaS. kas
demand Tor products shows an unexpected
Increase n several Important branches
Foreign trade continues satisfactory. even
in comparison gfth the Tsc0Gd 81 Year
age when exports exceeded sliaNN.sN n
December; Bank failures - Plsiasa S1pi ais
due 70 individual operations. ea0as ais-
turhance. and commercial ta1tATeS s1s
the month have hee3 less taSu htls iaSt
years 10 The same date The oatgoihs
Hood OF grain is not checked Is GsifSaSo
Speculation. though mere corn than wheat
has been moving. Wheat exports. hour "a
Guided. have sSan s,sss,.s-i oasheis Ios tLs
week against &aa>.StN The previous week
and do s43 "a year D 70. and Ia t0aE weeks
i, 40, sss bushels, aSasaSt Snss.Sss last sfai
This years wheat movement EsF me bAlt
year nearly ended mas heen close 10 lhe
maximum received III 1881. y heat mas
varied little. closing cents higher Tor tne
week, after deliveries OF surprising naaS-
uitude III Chicago and corn closes neaFls
a cent higher.
Wool mills have been buying domestic
wool heavily. and especially Montana ara
territory, as ii assured q large business
for the season about 10 open. Contracts OF
unknown magnitude have been made. TX ~
said. many al previous prices pat others
at a moderate advance. Wool - HFtl.
traders HAVING disposed of 3,Sn.cS pounds
territory AID o.5u1.tss pounds olher 10
nestle at Bosioa. and sales at three CITIES
reached !. s0a. 100 pounds.
There II A strong demand for iron and
its products. Besssner rlSins 10 Sl0 anu
gray forge 10 So at PittsbuEg- Owing 10
possible changes In freight rates. southern
pig is offered . cents lower
\ striking feature Is the unusuai demand
for the season in building cars 0t whlSa
a
trunk line, and rails there have advancea
10 So In new business. with safes mere ui
SEQ tons for home use and 100 Tor Mex
leo. Building contracts N unusual NeIt-
hers for the season come up, also CONTRACTS
fer three drainage canals AZ chicago lAe
Illinois Steel Works have eight months
business booked, with naore orders oneFeu.
Pine is duh and weak. but rods are quite
active, and billets have advanced apout
so cents. The output OK ConnellsyilIe coke.
l55. III tons. is the largest Tor any Wseh
this year, and contracts TO supply Ma
honing furnace at $i.6o for next year nave
been made Anthracite coal IS 10 GEMS
stronger with cold weather. i'm IL sAshtis
weaker, owing TO large shipments, 80.
Failures for the week have been W IN
the United States. against w. last year,
and 50 in Canada, against "a i2ss year.
Bradstreers Review.
Bradstreef's tomorrow Will say:
Quietness in the wholesale uauc, oos
pronounced and notable activity IN the
retail trade have been the salient 70
in this weeks trade situatinn- IiiSSs
changes which are numerous, are iaikets
in an upward direction. and the year draws
TO a close with results as a wnole Iuts
e1ualing and In many instances SilFpass-
Ing early expectations; PeFnaps ,ns r nalSs
with which the trade reports from an
parts OF the country. with some lew eA-
ceptions. point TO very heavy h sa..a,
trade In nearly all cases comparing iasoi-
ably with recent preceding Years. -.
Reports are that stocks Of these goods
have been heavily reduced. Particularly
prominent IN reporting a good retail traus
in the West are Chicago, 81, Louis ana
Kansas City. AT the South New orleans
reports retailers reaping a harvest anu
December trade larger than usual ss PM
larry good reports come from Nasnviile,
Savannah and Memphis, but coileetions
and business would be larger were II NOT
for the low price OF cotton IN the Norsn-
west colder weather has improved the de-
nland for seasonal Bile goods. and this. COM
bined with the usual holiday business. mas
resulted in good total tr2de. with esp.-
csaliy good reports from Milwaukee, 81.
Paul and Omaha. AT the East seAson-
able conditions prevail. while wholesale
trade is quiet and holiday business active.
No Improvement Ia noted IN the cotton
goods situation. and wage reductions seem
Imminent Good business has been done
In boots and shoes. and shipments are far
srns Is 81 sc, ise ana are
gathering In the cities OF washington anu
Oregon.
Proof that the unsettled cohuitiot OF uhr
wheat situation affects the export busi-
ness in the cereal is furnished by the hg-
ures OF shipments this week from both
coasts of tho United States and Canada
The total exports reported 10 Bradstreet's
aggregate flour as wheaD i.15I. SO bush
els as against ie04.011 bushels last week
and s. 256 coo bushels two weeks ago. They
also compare with exports OF 2sli 90 bush
els Ia this week last year. s,ia5st bushels
In 1896 ard 1,si40e bushels In lssf.
Commercial failures in the United states
remain about nominal. The total for this
week amounts to 2s0 az compared with ~
in the previous week but is smaller than
the total in 1896 when 3l6 were reported.
There are 30 business failures reported IN
the Dominion this week, against s5 last
year.
Bradatreet'S Financial Review.
Braastreet's financial review tomorrow
will say:
Speculation has been dull. and the pro-
fessionaI operators, who furnished nearly
-. - ar al