The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-01-16
Dun & cos. TRADE REVIEW
Very Interesting Bankruptcy Stats les Re.
p:ried BY Them.
1897 BEGINS WITH CLEAR ADVANTAGES.
Cotton up y Shade, aud Plantation
Receipts too Large for Low Esti-
lnates-lmpr 1n Railroad
Earnings.

II. &. Dun & Co.'S. weekly review OF
trade said: The year 1897 begins with
one clear advantage; the past year has
swept ont of the WY great number
of unsound concerns which in any
time OF activity would have been dan
gerous to business, OF the 1925
commercial and banking failures in
1896, With liabilities of $27G,Sl5, 749.
q large share represented Gripping
losses in previous years, or the violence
OF speculative storms in 1895, or the
first half Of 1896, while thousands
more resulted from the fury OF the 20.
litical tornado last fall. Banking fail
ures, amounting to $50, 1925 during
the year, averaged 1886, 15G each. and
were 145 per cent larger than in 1895.
Commercial failures amounted to
1926, 096, 1874, = little over 1000, 900
having been added by the last day Of
the year, bat the average Of liabilities,
1892, was smaller than in some
years OF great prosperity.
The failures OF brokerage and
"otht:" commercial concerns averaged
SIS, 4lS each, increasing 1873 per cont
over 1895, while manufacturing fail
ure. averaged SOS. sos each, and in-
creased 81 per cent and trading fall
uras increased Is per cent and aver
aged only 49, ot; each. Over four
titths Of the Increase in manufacturing
and trading failures was in lumber
manufacturing, 40 Fer cent; dry
goods 80; WOODEN manufacturing 1Gl;
clothing trade 90; shoe trade 81; leath-
er and shoe manufactures le7; grocery
trade 33; machinery 70; milling III;
furniture 80: and printing 81 per cent;
in ten other branches the increase was
moderate in amount aud in five with
the Enciassitied manufacturing and
trading failures, tie liabilities were
smaller than in 1895.
While banking failures have not
ceased ut the West, apprehension
about them has almost subsidized, and
no serious influence upon general trade
is now expected. Many sound con-
Germs were doubtless caught by the
epidemic, bit practically all the i'm
portant failures are traced to disregard
OF law anu Of banking sense at period
somewhat distant 1t is felt ut the
West that all business will be the
sorntser for purging, and the return
OF money to New York has exceeded
shipments to the interior by =, 000, 900
for the week.
Cotton started up a shade, but re-
ccipts from plantations are still too
large for low estimates and the con-
dition OF the cotton mills foreehadows
c'lrtailment rather than largo con-
sumption. The market tor goods is
extremely slow, as many infer that
the unprecedented stock Of print
cloths indicate similar surplus of
other goods. Tho logic is bad, but |
in many branches the mills have
doubtless manufactured goods antici-
pating demand, which has not come.
1t is now proposed to relieve the mar
ket Ivy selling quantities OF print
cloths abroad, or by locking up 2,O0O,-
900 pieces until the market improves. |
The only change in quotations is one
quarter cent reduction in some bleached
goods.
The aggregate Of gross earnings Of
all railroads in tho United States re-
ported for December or part OF the
month is $50, 437,GS5 q decrease Of
"a per cent compares: with last year,
and OF 80 per cent compared with the
corresponding time in 1892. The ;
later reports make q more favorable
showing than any of tho earlier re-
turns for the month. For the fourta
week roads reporting show consider !
able increase in gross earnings. The
increase is not confined to any one
section, but nearly al the large sys-
TENS report large gain in the fourth
week. Compared with 1892 roads
reported for tho month show reduced
earnings, the greater loss being on
grangers and other Western roads. As
3 whole the return so far made for
December compares much moro favor
ably with preceding years than the
first report for November: