The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-04-08
IN THE WORLD OF BUSINESS
BRADSTREET'S AND Dun q CO.'S
REVIEWS OF BUSINESS
CONDITIONS.
some IMPROVEMENT IS apparent.
In General Trade, Despite Mississippi
valley Iandicap-A Falling OF
in Business Failures, Com
pared with Last Year.

New York, April Bradstreets to
morrow will say:
The course of general trade shows somt
| improvement, Notwithstanding an almOs
complete stoppage Of business in the
south Mississippi valley by washouts
overfows and floods. The condition Of
the country roads throughout the centra
and northwestern states is such as tC
further delay collections and check de-
mand for interior merchants Another
drop is recorded in prices of BessemeI
pig iron and steel billets and in wheat
flour, coal, coffee and lard which is in
part offset by increased activity and
niger prices for wool and woolens, corn
oats, sugar and petroleum. A heavy
movement of fertilizers is reported in the
south Atlantic states, interest in lum-
Der and shingles has increased on the
northwest Pacific coast and Galveston is
exporting cattle to Europe direct The
most favorable trade reports are from
northwestern spring wheat states.
There are 1902 business failures in the
United States reported by Bradstreet's
during the past quarter, compared with
45O1 during the first quarter of 1896, a
falling off of about II per cent. The de-
crease is reported from all sections ex-
cept New England and the eastern
states. The total liabilities of those fail
ing, except in the New England states,
are about % per cent less during the
past quarter than a year ago. Liabili-
ties Of all individuals, firms and corpo-
rations which failed amount to $50, 514-
600, falling off of 16 per cent from
the corresponding total last year.
Special reports to Bradstreet's from
fifty cities with reference to revival in
activity in industrial lines Indicate there
is work ut these centers probably not TO
exceed 100000 in excess of the number
employed in November last. The in
creases are largely among employees Of
manufacturers Of wooden goods, shoes,
clothing, machinery, engines, agricultural
implements, bicycles, carriages, furniture,
iron, steel, glass and ship building. De-
preston still exists among some branches
of the wooden goods industry in coal min
ing and cotton goods manufactures.
Bank clearngs for March at eighty
two cities throughout the United States
show an increase of Is per cent con-
pared with March Il year ago, the fist
increase over a corresponding To-
tai one year ago since April. 1896.
The March gain over February this
year is IA per cent, but the decrease from
the January total is 6.3 per cent. Com
pared with March, 1895, March this year
shows gain of more than per cent
and with March, 1894 it is nearly II per
cent, but compared with March, 1893,
two months prior to the outbreak of the
panic last months totals show falling
off of % per cent. The Weeks clear
ances, amounting to 5000, 100000, are 2.3
per cent larger than the total last week;
) per cent smaller than that in the week
Il year ago, 10 per cent less than in 1894
and IL per cent less than in the last
week of March, 1893.
Exports of wheat, flour included as
wheat, from both coasts of the United
States this week amount to 2264, 225
bushels, compared with 1,749,000 bush
clst last week, 1,G93,O0O bushels in the
week year ago, 2.77S,O00 bushels in
the like period of 1894, as compared with
3, $3.50, 600 bushels in the corresponding
week of 1893, the largest weeks total
exports of wheat and flour since the first
week of February last.
Exports of Indian corn amount to A.
S97. 127 bushels this week, compared
with 5,S52,000 bushels last week, 2,199,-
300 bushels in the week a year ago. ISL
BOO bushels two years ago, 1,274 600
bushels three years ago, and as COM
pared with Oh 1000 bushels in the like
week of 1893.