Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-12-21
ITS TONE HEALTHY.
Commercial Situation Shows Much
That Is Satisfactory.
EXPORTS ECLIPSE PAST RECORDS.
Have Reached SO74.GOO, 900 In Eievex
Months-A General Roview Of
Trade In All Sections Of
the United states.

Al tucIE w 6thly EcNlSW VI AI0AS roy
"Close to Its annual holiday and halt. the
i business of the year is surprisingly large.
/ Payments through banks are again IS per
cent. larger than In 1892. heretofore the
year Of greatest prosperity; the production
OF iron and woolens and boots and shoes
Is larger than ever before. exports eclipse
all past records. and failures for two weeks
have been the smallest for corresponding
weeks in five years. The treasury receipts
show steady increase for the first half
OF December over previous months. both
In customs and internal revenue. and heavy
payments to the government on Union Pa
oihc account caused but slight stringency
In the money market. with preparations for
large cancellation OF bonds.
Export Records Surpassed.
1.-THE most weighty news Of the week II
the rise OF merchandise exports In Novem-
Der to $116, 6S0.290. the excess OF exports In
four months being 1929 I'll, 40l. while in half
OF December exports are nearly as large
and imports 81, 500. 900 smaller than last year.
when the excess Of exports was $5s.20s. 1866
Probably all records are surpassed by ex-
ports for this year. which have been 1874
10000 in II months. and the excess over
! imports in five months has probably cx-
ceeded s2ss. 100000.
Iron Industry.
1.-THE output of pig iron December was
the greatest ever known. 226.024 tons,
against 2l3,l59 November !, 1896 and 2l7, Sue
in November, 1895, the highest point here
tofore. Unsold stocks also decreased in
November Is, 652 tons, indicating consump-
ton OF about 100000 weekly during the
month. Bessemer declined in the face of
such production 10 cents and grey forge
Is cents at Pittsburgh. The demand was on
the whole greater and unusual structural
contracts for the season were placed. with
sales Of 10000 tons of steel rails at New
York and the largest orders ever booked
by the Illinois Steel company, II Is said.
and Unexpectedly heavy business in plates.
Much buying also resulted from expecta-
ton Of the wire consolidation.
Wheat, Corn and Cotton.
wheat is Just now the backbone Of for
eIgn relations. and Atlantic exports In two
bushels, against 5,ilS.677 last year. while
receipts rose to l2.6O6.122 bushels. against
6.e25, 3s2 last year. The price gained frac-
tion In spite OF the speculative decline In
Chicago.
Corn exports continue to exceed last
years: In two weeks 6.326S94 bushels.
against 500, 626 last year. which IL par
ticularly significant feature. The price rose
but a fraction and receipts In two weeks
were sO23,O O1 bushels. against 5.4as1S1 last
ye .sTis cotton mapufaetur. !, in o,tt,cu,ty.
due to production last year far In excess
OF demand, and In partial transfer OF the
demand TO southern mills. While domestic
and export sales have been large, they aEe
behind production exceeding that Of tbs
best previous year. northern and southern
included, and the effort to straighten things
by a reduction of wages presumably In
wolves a strike and reduction Of output.
Failures for the week have been 500 In
the United States, against SS7 last year.
and Is in Canada, against II last year.
Bradstreet's View.
Bradstreet's says:
IA sensible quleting Of demand in whole.
sale lines is reported as the holiday season
and the annual stock-taking period an.
proach. Chief among the favorable fea-
lures of the week has been enlarged In
quiry at higher prices for steel In various
forms, accompanied by advances In the
prices Of sorts most affected. core.
spond,ngly heavy business has developed
In pig iron and prices show but slight
shading in face Of the current immense
production. The wheat market has been
less feverish and prices are practically UNI
and sugar are additions to the list of the
products showing advances. The unsatis.
factory outlook for cotton goods Is re-
fiected In reductions in bleached goods 10 the
lowest point ever reached. while some cot
ton yarns show weakness. Anthracite coal
Is weak, altnOuSn production mas De6n cur
tailed, and talk of further restrictions Ia
heard With these exceptions. the price
situation is one of quite exceptional steadi-
ness.
"At the east trade In wholesale lines 10
quiet, but retail trade has been stimulated
sufficiently 10 allow Of fair record Of
business in seasonable lines. Aianufac-
turers of wooden cloths are running on small
margins and look to a change In heayy-
weight goods to improve the situation The
trade situation west and northwest is one
OF upImpaired strength. although milder
weather checks distribution of winter-weaS
goods Notable among favorable features
is the improved inquiry at higher prices
for several kinds OF steel, especially BILL.
lets and wire and nails.
1.-THE approach Of the holiday season has
induced freer realizing on cotton by plant
ers and others at the south, and increa sed
activity is noticeable in retail lines and
among jobbers in seasonable goods. Col
lections are slightly better in consequence
although the low price of the staple Is a
discouraging feature. Aside from price
depression In its chief products, the south.
ern business situation presents many en-.
couraging features. nofahie among these
being the active demand and firm Of htghe!
prices for Louisiana sugar and rice and
leaf tobacco Export trade on the Pacific
Ii very heavy and shipments OF wheat,
cotton and lumber are Of large volume.
Preparations for an immense Alaskan out.
fitting demand are being actively pushed,
while seasonable trade holds It's own"