Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-08-28
BETTER BUSINESS
Reported by Bradstreets and
Dun's Commercial Agencies.
The Wave Of Prosperity Steadily
Growing in Volume and Strength.
Hardly a Section But Shows Indications Of
Returning Business kciiviiy.

New York, Aug. 27-Bradstreets, to-
morrow, will say: The general trade
situation continues to improve, and
aside from the unnecessarily prolonged
strike of the soft coal miners there is
little in sight to cloud the outlook. The
feature of the week is the advance III
prices of almost all leading staples,
beginning with an upward movement
all along the line in iron and steel
Some Western steel mills are sold up
to January /. which with the demand
for earlier deliveries from furnaces
than had been arranged for are quite
significant. Lead, too, and soft coal
are higher. as wheat, Notwithstanding
one or two reactions.
Bradstreets points out that the sta
tistical position of wheat is the strong
est known since the United States be-
came a considerable exporter, and that
its prices, as well as that for bread is
likely to materially exceed the present
weeks advances. Following that for
wheat. prices are higher for wheat
-four, for corn, oats, lard, potatoes. but
ter, eggs. beans, cheese leaf tobacco
wool and live stock. Advances for
leather, hides, lumber and linseed are
also reported.
Cotton. which is up 3-l6 cents. re-
ports the smallest worlds stock for
years past at this period, an improved
tone and higher prices for the manu-
factured production.
Advances are being also asked for re-
orders Of wooden goods at mills, but
print cloths. petroleum and sugar are
IN IA. N4tI,i Ia ,rIr fS
reported lower than Il week ago. No
such general or pronounced upward
movement of prices of nearly all lead
ing staples has been Witnessed within
week for many years.
August continues its extraordinary
record of large weekly totals of bank
clearings and promises to show an un
precedented gain of the month a year
ago. Clearings during the past six
business days, as telegraphed to Brad
streets Cthe only like report, based ex-
cusively on telegrsms from all clear
ing house cities) amount TO $i,401 900,
000, about S93, 600, 600 less than last week
tut sos, 900, 900 more than in the
fourth week of August. 1896, a gain of
40 per cent.
Contrasted with .clearings year ago
this weeks exhibit shows decreases at
only II out of 81 cities in the United
StatGs. Five of the cities with smaller
totals than last year are at the South,
where delayed cotton crop movement
explains the failing OFF Among the 20
largest cities reporting clearings only
one shows a decline from the weeks
total j year ago.
This llpak's aIpl RINGS FIN. all cities
are Is per cent larger than in the like
week two years ago, 40 per cent. large
than three years ago. 81 per cent
larger than in the corresponding week
in the panic year 1893, IS per cent.
larger than in 1892. 10 per cent. larger
than 1891 and per cent smaller than
IN the corresponding period in 1890.
There are 2l0 business failures re
ported throughout the United States,
his week. against 221 last week, $50 a
year ago. 1870 two years ago, 1872 three
years ago, and 3G9 in the like week il
1898
Nneat exports are of large volume, |
acsregating twheat and wheat a.
nour) 5,li9,G53 bushels this week Is
against 1916 sos bushels last week, g.
2S1 ,S54 bushels last year. 1871. .92S bush |
els in this week two years ago, 3,420. .000 |
bushels in 1894 and 5,092, 500 bushels i. |
the sporriiBg week of 1893. Win |
the exception of last week. this week 5 /
shipments are the largest since the /
third week of September. 1893 Corr |
exports show a considerab BILE falling off. |
being 2,GS6,i52 bushels, against 3,929, ,o35 |
bushels last week, 2,6l0.309 bushels a
year ago, 1.l24.5S6 bushels in 1895, 119