The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-04-07

der the following glowing headlines:
INDUSTRIES RAPIDLY REVIVE.
AT WORK.
We looked with curiosity to see
what outburst of prosperity there was
to Justify this proclamation Of success
and happiness. We found a couple of
articles from those champion liars,
BradStreet and Dunn, of New York:
the men who, We are told, suppress
the reports Of one-half the bus ness
failures Of the country. and distort
everything to make the best showing
possible. This is what we find under
that magnificent heading:
New York, April 2.-Bradstreet's
tomorrow VIII say: The course of gen.
eral trade shows some improvement,
Notwithstanding an almost complete
Stoppage Of business in the South Mis-
SIppi valley by WaShoutS, overfloWS
and floods. The condition of country
| roads throughout the central and
Western states and the Northwest
is such as to further delay collections
| and check demand from interior mer-
chants. Another drop is recorded in
prices OF Bessemer pig iron and steel
billets, and in wheat, flour. coal. coffee
and lard, which is, in part, offset by
| Increased activity and higher prices
Tor 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
Northern Pacific coast, and Galveston
IS exporting cattle to Europe direct.
The most favorable trade reports are
from Northwestern spring wheat
states.
Let us analyze this:
The course Of general trade" says
Bradstreet, "shows some improve
ment, and then he re Gers to the COM
plete "stonpage Of business by wash
| outs, ovcrilows, and floods" This is
the first improvement.
The second is bad roads-"such as
to further delay collections and check
demand from interior merchants"
This is very pregnant sign of i'm
prOvement.
In the next place we read of IAN
other drop is recorded in prices Of
Bessemer pig iron and steel bllets,
and in wheat, -four coal. coffee and
lard These are striking evidences
OF prosperity! This last condition is
offset by increased activity and high
er prices for wool and woolenS, corn,
oats, sugar, and petroleum." The
sugar and petroleum are the subjects
of trust, and their prosperity is in
inverse ratio to the pros pcrity Of the
people. Our readers will know how
much improvement there has been in
corn and oats. Wool and wColens may
be increased ia price, but if they are,
it will be at the expense, under the
high tariff, Of ali other persons who
are not engaged in raising or produc
ing them.
The next evidence Of roSperity is
that there has been "a heavy move
ment Of fertilizers in the South
Atlantic states" This simply means
SO much more to be paid out by the
farmers, in the hope Of raising crops
that will not sell for enough to repay
the cost of production.
"lntere5t in lumner and shingles has
increased on the Northwest Pacific
coast AS lumOer and shingles are
the subjects Of trusts. and the in
creased price, it any, has to be paid
| odt Of the pockets Of the producing
class, it is easy to see that this is not
very strikin. evidence Of prosperity
But the final fact, to clinch the evil
dence, we are told, are favorable re-
ports from 1.-The Northwest spring
wheat States" which means Mime
sofa and the Dakotas.
Gud help the rest Of the country. if
these states represent the standard of
their pros perity.
He then speaks as follows:
Spec al reports to the Bradstreets
from fifty cities, with reference to re-
vlvai IN activity in industrial lines, in
dictate there are at work at the centars
probably not to exceed LOO, 900 in ex-
cess or the number employed in No
| vem Der last. Inc increases are large
| ly among employees OF manufactures
Of WOODEN goods. shoes, clothing, ma
| Chinery, engines, agricultural lmple-
C.
ron,steel. glass and ship building.
Depression still exists among some
| branches OF tho wOolen goods indus
| try, in coal mining and cotton goods
/ manufactures.
| Ii is OF course possible that num-
Der Of manufacturers may be deluded.
by the passage Of a new tariff bill, in
TO prod ucing more goods; and there
! may be u resulting squirt of apparen t
good times, such as followed for few
days the election Of Mckinley in No
vember last. But when those goods
are manufactured, who is to buy
them? Will the increased price of
| commodities TO be bought, increase
| the capacity of the buyers to buy
them9 And if SO. what way will it do
so?
Bradstrect told us in the preceding
article that there were signs of pros
perity in the wool and WOODEN trades.
| here he tells us that de pression still
| exists among the WOODEN goods indus
| try.
We have in the same edition of the
"Globe." Dunn s. Co.'S, weekly review
Of trade. and there we learn as fol-
/ lows:
! THE markets are still waiting,
some sagging downward and others
recovering. The vote of the House in
! favor of a new tariff bill has made no
| impression on business, since it has been
| expected, since November, that some
| measure Of the same general charac-