Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-07-01

u.
company's weekly review says there is
no step backward in business, although
the season of midsummer quiet is
near. The improvement continues
gradual and prudently cautious as be-
fore. business men of the highest
standing in all parts Of the country
have gradually perceived that the
tide is begun to rise and are reg
ulating their contents and investments
and plans for the future with a conf
dence quite unknown to them a short
time ago. Great changes before ad-
jOurnment of congress are hardly to be
expected, but the removal of uncertain
ty is with reason expected to bring in
to operation buying forces which have
been restricted for months.
The main factor at this time is the
steadily Frightening prospects for good
crops. The harvesting of wheat has
already been begun in some of the
winter wheat states, with surprisingly
good results in the central region and
California, SO that 900 tons are now
called a minimum from the latter state
anu statisticians OF repute calculate on
10000, 600 bushels of winter wheat be-
yOnd the government estimate. Spring
wheat is doing remarkably we'll with a
practically unknown increase in acre
age. The price was advanced ~ cents
during the week, Wiz a decrease of
1900, 900 bushels in the western re-
ceipts, and Atlantic exports are only
], 100000 bushels, -four included,
against 1,714,000 last year. But this is
just the season when figures have no
value except as proving how erroneous
were the estimates of the crop of 1896.
Iron and steel products average a
small fraction lower in published quo
tatiOns, but only because private con-
CessiOns which are now refused by va
riOus authorities cOmpIacently con-
c6alad two weeks ago. Pig iron is
firmer with better demand at the east
and ct Chicago, but the impatience of
valley furnaces to resume work keeps
bessemer and grey forge at last weeks
quotations at PlIsburg. The best of
news is the material increase in the or
ders for plates, in part for ship build
ing, in bars for agricultural implement
works, in structural shapes for build
ings anu bridges and in galvanized
sheets. The great ore producing COM
panies are cutting the prices of mesaba
besSemeT an oyal to 2.10 apparently
business Of the year as a basis for fu-
ture combination. Tin has advanced
to IA cents, in spite Of heavy arrivals,
1900 tons of lead having been sold, and
moderate quantities are now bringing
3.421h. There is an encouraging increase
in the demand for all textile goods, even
for cOttOne which so long have been
slow, and though it is but moderate
there is nothing of a speculative char
acter in the transactions and prices are
firmly held. Recorders for woolens
have been rather better than expected
for clothiers and fairly good dress
goods. Operations in spring goods are
still deferred. Mills are somewhat bet
ter employed and are buying to some
extent. Some purchases Of wool are
for speculation. Failures in the Unit
ed States for the week were PIG against
217 last year.
New York, June 26.-The statement
compiled by Bradstreet's shows the
total bank clearings in the principal
cities of the United states for the week
to be 1913, 209 ,233, an increase Of SO
per cent. compared with the CORES
ponding week last year.
New York, June 26. -Bradstreets'
weekly report says the persistent mis-
representation of the actual state of
trade throughout the country the past
month in an endeavor to make
prospective improvement in business
appear to be its present condition, demands
an examination Into facts and Bradstreets
presents condensed results of interview
with representative manufacturers and
merchants at more than fifty important
commercial and industrial ct of
the Rocky mOu 1tans The demand except
in few lines is less pronounced than it
was two months ago. There is no material
increase in the volume compared with a
year ago and the prices of many staples are
lower. But there has been an Improvement
compared with the situation prior to the
trasted with last January. Many of the
larger merchants and manufacturers char
acterize the business record for the first
half of 1897 as a disappointment in con-
trast with the anticipations in December,
1896 On the other hand, confidence is wide
spread in revival of demand this fall.
Of three great manufacturing industries,
iron and steel, cottons and woolens, the
first shows relatively the most improvement
and woOlens next, although the tariff delays
have taken the edge off the demand in that
line and permitted importers to stock up
goods still suffer from cut prices, excessive
competition and heavy production. There
is better demand for silks millinery and
confectionery, which aside from the pros
perity of the bicycle industry, constitute
exceptions. Higher prices for leading ce-
reals, fol-, meats and Havana tobacco are
not worthy of m lch consideration and re-
fleet, respectively unusually small sup
plies of wheat and the strength of the
control of the meat supply and existing con-
ditiOnS in Cuba. Exports of wheat flour
inclUded) from both coasts and from Mon
treal this week amount to 2,156OOO bushels
compared with 2S37.OO for the correspond
ing week year ago, Exports of Indian
corn were 1892 600 bushels this week com
pared with 1,713,O00 for the same week a
year ago