The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-26
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT PLAIN
TO THOSE WHO ARE IN CLOSE
TOUCHs , - -
TENDENCY TO BRANCH OUT.
CONSERVATIVE MENjARE, PREPAR-
ING TO EMBARK ON THE RIs-
ING TIDE. u
Less Optimistic of the Trade Re-
views Sees Reason toe Expect
Better Things Soon.

NEW YORK, June 25.-R. G. Dun
& Co.'s weekly review of trade tomor-
row will say: There is no step back
ward in business, although the season
of midsummer quiet is near. I'M
provement continues, gradual and pru-
IDENTIFY cautious as before, although, in
many branches, evident where no
signs of it appeared a few weeks ago.
Business men Of the highest standing
in all parts of the country having
gradually perceived that the tide has
begun to rise, are regulating their cor
tracts, investments and plans for the
future with a confidence quite I'M
known to them a short time ago.
Great changes before the adjournment
of congress are hardly to be expected,
but removal of uncertainty is, with
reason, expected to bring into opera
ton buying forces which have been
restricted for months. The main
factor at this time is the steadily
Frightening prospect for crops. Har-
vesting OF wheat has already begun
in some winter wheat states, with sur
prisingly good results in the central
region and California, so that 100000
tons is now called the minimum from
the latter state, and the statisticians
of repute calculate on sixty million
bushels Of winter wheat beyond the
government estimate. Spring wheat
is doing remarkably WE'LL, with prac
tically unknown increase of acreage.
The price has advanced 1Hc during
the week, with a decrease of 100000
blu in Western receipts, and Atlantic
exports Of only 1,445047 bushels, flour
included, against 1,713,961 last year,
but it is just the season when figures
have no value except when proving
how erroneous were estimates of the
crop of 1896. 49,
Cotton was liftd an eighth without
reason and has fallen back as much,
because everything points to larger
crop than has been commonly expect
ed Iron and steel products average
small fraction lower in published quo
tations, but only because private con-
ccsSions which are now refused, were,
by various authorities, complacently
concealed two weeks ago. The best
of the news is material Increase In
orders for plates, in part for snip
building. in bars for agricultural i'm
plement works, in structural shapes
vanized sheets One heavy contract
for 300 miles 30-inch and 100 miles 10
inch pipe, sought by the Australian
government for gold regions, excites
many hopes in the trade. The great
ore producing companies are cutting
prices, Mesaba Bessemer,. Fayal, to
$21O apparently in order to score the
biggest possible business of the year
as a basis for future combination.
There is encouraging increase in the
demand for all textile goods, even for
cottons, which have so long been SLOW,
and though it is but moderate there
is nothing of a speculative character
in the transactions, and prices are
firmly held While mills are some
what better employed and are buying
to some extent, most Of the purchases
of wool are for speculation,
nearly three fourths being at Bos-
ton alone, and the aggregate was $685.
800 pounds at the three chief markets,
5,510300 pounds being of foreign WOOL
Domestic wool is still held at relative
~ high prices at the West.
Failures for the week have been 10
in the United States, against III last
year, and "a in Canada, against "A
last year.