The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-27
THE BUSINESS SITUATION.

q it is the holiday season business is quiet all
| over the country. The merchants are busy
taking stock the speculative markets are stag
nant, the winter demand has ceased and the spring
demand has not yet opened, and the whole COM
mercial body is therefore alternating From now to
the middle OF January the condition will prob
ably prevail unless this year radically different
from all others.
But, curiousy enough, it has been different. Dur
ing the past three or four weeks there has been a
revival in trade something almost unheard of at this
OF the year. Along in the early part OF the
month stocks OF many commodities were found to be
greatly reduced all the country and the jobbers
and retailers found it necessary to replenish them
Under this stimulus business revived; boots and
shoes, wooden goods, hides and leather, iron and
steel and number Of other lines became active; in
creased railroad earnings stimulated speculation in
railroad shares, and the enormous exports OF wheat
and merchandise from Atlantic ports-greater, in
fact than ever before-sent the bank clearings up
all sections and resulted in large increase in the
circulation OF money.
This revival in trade at the close OF the year is
singular, but we are told that it is but harbinger
OF still livelier times come. It is the general inn
preston that when the new year is fully opened the
demand for all kinds of merchandise will be sharp
1t is known that merchandsers in all parts OF the
United States have for years been buying from hand
TO mouth and carrying small stocks possible,
and that assortments will have to be brought up to
merchantable condition. 1t is this fact that the
expectation OF lively period in trade is based.
Whether it will be realized is OF question,
but from present indications it will 1t surely ought
to be in San Francisco for we have q prospect not
enjoyed by any other important city. With the ex-
ercse OF common commercial energy the merchants
OF this city ought surely to the bulk OF the
Alaskan Quitting business next spring, and it
will be OF immense volume the stimulus to trade from
this apparent to every If times are not
brisk in this city during the few months it will
be largely fault
Outside of the Alaskan question local trade is be-
ginning to hinge largely the weather. We have
had less than the usual quantity of rain thus far this
year, and talk OF possible dry is beginning
to be heard OF course it is rather early yet for
gloomy predictions Of this sort but it cannot be de-
MED that the season shows certain signs that di-
rection The commercial classes, however, have
learned to wait until after the Of the year before
getting alarmed over rain deficiency and prices
have not yet been affected by the outlook But if the
usual Christmas rains hold off much longer quota
tons for some lines OF produce will surely be dis
turbed In the present condition OF the markets it
will not take much TO produce boom in some ar
ticles. Hay has gone up recently, and dry winter
will send it up to fancy point little dreamed of a
year ago. as stocks are $4,000 short. The minor
cereals too are steady and sensitive and need very
little to give them a radical advance Dried fruits,
likewise, will respond to insufficient rainfall.
hence dealers in these lines of produce beginning
to watch the sky with than usual interest
Changes in the leading staples this week few.
There has been a small improvement in wheat, an
advance in corn, decline in barley and boom in
butter and eggs, the former being extremely scarce.
But outside of these variations there has been very
I..4fo eel or
merchandise except fractional advance in sugar.
There is change whatever in the money mar
ket Funds in ample supply at the usual rates Of
interest and there is moderate demand for loans on
commercial and individual account. No failures oil
importance reported, and collections good
as they generally at this time OF year. Business
men as a rule report themselves satisfied with the
state of trade and sanguine of increased activity
later on.