Omaha daily bee., 1897-12-18
TRADE SURPRISINGLY LARGE
Payments Through Banks surpass Those OF
the Banner Years.
EXPORTS ECLIPSE ALL PAST RECORDS
raiIures for the Past Two weeks
Have Bccn the Smallest for
corresponding Weeks
in Five Years.

NEW YORK, Dec. 17.-R G. Dun Co.'S
Weekly Review OF Trade will say in It's issue
OF tomorrow:
Close to its annual holiday and halt. the
business of the year ts surprisingly large:
Payments through banks are 2.5 per cent
larger than in 1892 heretofore the year OF
greatest prosperity. The production OF iron
and woolens and boots and shoes Is larger
than ever before; exports eclipse all past
records and failures for two weeks have
been the smallest for corresponding weeks
IN five years
The treasury receipts show a steady in
crease for the first half of December over
previous months. both in customs and in
ternal revenue, and heavy payments TO the
government on Union Pacific account caused
but slight strngency in money markets,
with preparations for large cancellation OF
bonds
The most ryeighty news of the week Is the
rise OF merchandise exports In November TO
SGGl $50 200 the excess of exports IN four
months being s229.2l2, i0l while the first half
Of December exports are not nearly as large
when the excess Of exports was SIS, ,2O5, 1855.
Probably all records are surpassed by ex-
ports for this year. which have been Ss,i, ,6oo,-
900 in eleven months. and the excess over
imports In five months has probably ex-
ceeded $685. 600.
The OUTPUT of pig iron December was the
greatest ever. known, 226024 tons, against
213,159 November 1, 1896, and. 217. 3O6 tons In
November, 1895, the highest point hereto
vember 1862 tons, indicating consumption
of about 100000 tons weekly during the
such production 10 per cent and grey iorSe
25 cents at Pittsburg. The demand was on
the whole grD lter and unusual structural
contracts for the season were placed, with
sales of 10000 tons of steel rails at New
York and the largest orders ever booked by
unexpectedly heavy business in plates.
Much buying also resulted from expectation
OF the wire consolidation, including 25,OOO
tons bessemer and $1,000 tons bilets at
pttsburg No reaction comes in copper and
exports for the month are estimated at
M tN,o- md In In tag
Coke production was 1895 tons, with con
tracts making for the coming year at 81 10
and anthracite coal was weaker at S'1
Wheat is just now the backbone of for
eign relations, and Atlantic exports IN 10, tWG We
weeks have been, -four included, I,SSO,9ll
bushels, against 54l36I7 bushels last year
while receipts rose to l2CO6,l22 bushels
against 6,625,3S2 bushels last year The price
gained fraction in spite of the speculative
decline in Chicago. Corn exports continut
which is a particularly Significant feature
The price rose but a fraction and receipts
in two weeks were S,O23,ODl bushels, agalns
5&9,lSl bushels last year.
The cotton manufacture Is IN diili5i diilicuitS y
due to production lat year far o in oS Excess hs Dc
mand to southern mills. While domestl'
and export sales have been large. they ar ar,
behind production exceeding that of thu
best previous year. northern and southern
included, and the effort to straighten thing
wolves a strike and destruction of output
Dry goods are generally weak and the rang
OF prices the lowest ever known.
The demand for wooden goods is increas
ing and some mills in the market pro
Vding for greater pro luct!on and the WOO
market is Enthusiastically dun, the sales a
the three chief points being l5,50O, loo pounds
against 1S,10O,lO0 pounds last year, li,lI9.ll
pounds in 1895 and l6504,i0O pounds in 1882
While prices are said to be held withou
change, manufacturers are hunting for bar
gains and foreign wool in considerable
quantity is coming this Say. r.
Failures for the week have been 329 for tn
United States, against SS7 last year, an
twenty-eight in Canada, against forty-on
last year.