The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-20
WEEKLY TRADE REVIEW.
GENERAL NPROVEMENTNOTED IN
ALL LINES or BUSINESS. =
Oae Million Tons Of Rails Sold LAST Week
Increased Demand For Merchandise.

| New York. Feb. 2O.-Bradstreet's to-
day says:
| General trade shows more improve
| ment, features of which are the advances
for Bessemer pig iron. steel billets, steel
| rails, some grades of wool, raw sugar,
| Indian corn, pork and lard, and for print
cloths with an upward tendency for
leather, together with a number of metal
and textile Industrial establishments
which have re-opened within the week,
and an Improvement In recent railway
earnings.
The demand for rails since the break
in quotations has resulted in sales OF
nearly 100000 tons. Of which 100000
tons are for export. Not the least
significant outcome is the demonstra-
tion OF the ability Of American steel
makers to successfully compete in the
markets Of the world.
There is a better demand for dry goods.
clothing, shoes, paint, lumber and
architectural iron, but material increases
In request for general merchandise are
more conspicuous at Chicago, st. Louis
and New York than elsewhere. Pat
erson silk mills also have found an i'm
look for business.
Mercantile collections continue slow.
and in Texas requests from the interior
merchants for extension Of accounts are
more numerous than before. Mild
weather has had an unfavorable effect
on business in some portions of the
country by checking the demand for
heavy winter goods, but has served to
uti ,Iat 70
other sections.
The tendency of current gross rail-
way earnings is to increase and major
ity of reports of railroads earnings for
the second week of February show in
creases. Gross and net earnings for the
year 1896 are in sharp contrast with those
for 1895. While promising well, the
depressed trade and political excitement
had an unfavorable influence. But ii
is encouraging to note that decreases
from corresponding totals i'm 1895. year
of exceptionally favorable railway earn
ings of 142 companies which include
8 per cent of our railroad earning cap
acity, aggregated 1856, ,834, ,241 last year,
a decrease of 1-5 Of per cent from the
like total in 1885, while total net earn
ings-$2S8, ,929, ,004-showed a similar fall
ing off of " per cent The Southwest
ern, Southern and Pacific groups of
roads report increases, both gross and
net, as compared with 1896. Heavier
decreases are by Central Western,
trunk line and Granger groups, in the
order named, the last named reporting
an increase of 2h per cent in gross, but
a decrease of &c per cent innet.
Among the more important staples
for which prices have decreased are
wheat. oats, coffee, cotton, rosin and
turpentine.
The unexpected weakness in wheat
and wheat flour prices forms the best
evidence of the lack of confidence by
the trade and general public i'm official
reports of the size of the domestic wheat
crop last year. 1t Is now probable
the un- official 450, ,000, 900 bushel estimate
OF the domestic crops will have to be
increased. Judging recent bull calcu-
lations, we are now exporting wheat
which will be needed at home before
July /.
Total business failures throughout the
country have increased, numbering 32s
this week, compared with 301 last week,
276 in the third week of February, 1895,
327 in the like week of 1895, 235 in the cor
responding period in 1894 and 202 in the
like week Of 1893. There were 1871 sus-
pensions and failures of banks. bankers
and loan and trust companies in the
United States, as reported to Brad
streets last year, compared with. 135 il
1896 only SO in 1894. and contrasted will
| 5gS i'm the panic year 1899.
| When the total of estimated liabilitie
amounting to more than sl70 000. 900, wa
| less than the total indicated assets, opl,
| one third the number of banks (national
state, savings, private and trust com
panies). failed or suspended last yea
that were reported embarrassed in 1S9;
and the reduction in total estimate
liabilities was in the same proportion
But that such embarrassments were /
one sense more serious in 1896 than Il
1893 Is plain, as total Indicated asset
of embarrassmed banks i'm 1896 wer
So, ,O0O. 900 smaller than the total estimate
liabilities.
Exports ~ wheat (fiour included a
wheaD from both coasts of the Unite
states and Halifax and st. Johl
N. T., this week aggregate 2,120, ,S96 bush
els. compared with 2,051 900 bushels la.
week. 3,149,0 900 bushels i'm the correspond
ing week Of 1896. 1,S0S,000 bushels in ii
like week of 1896, /, 730. 900 bushels in III
corresponding period of 1894. and as con
pared with 2.696, 900 bushels In the III
week Of 1893. Exports OF Indian col
this week are the largest on record Il
like period, amounting to 6.44l.4
bushels. as compared with 4,169, 900 busi
els last week. 2,925,000 bushels I'm q
week year ago, $4,000 bushels in II
week two years ago 1.355,000 bushe
three years ago, and as contrasted wit
S66, 900 bushels in the like week OF 1893
Il
Got Lost In Mine.
Shamokin, Pa, Feb. 20.--After wande