The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-01-01

'sS - 2hCc J.
NEW YORK, Dec. 3l.--R. G. Dun &:
Co.'S weekly review Of trade will say in
It's issue tomorrow: q
Failures for the year which closed last
night have been smaller than in any,
otheryea since 1892 in number, smaller.
than in any year except in 1895, and in
average liabilities per failure smaller
than in any year during the last twenty
three, except four The aggregate Of all
failures, commercial and banking, was
s1So,6oo,o0o, of8which s25,sOO,0oo was in
banking. In 1880 commercial failures
the amount of lfbilitles was Sl54, 800 900,
of which s69OOO,O0O was in manufactur-
ing and s73,7Oo, 900 in trading, with s1o,-
100 in brokerage and other commercial
lines. The average OF liabilities per
failure was only 81 ,5S9, ard In 1892 only
$ll ,095, but only three years in the past
twenty-threc were rivals. 1888 with
su.59S; 1855 with s11G5l, and 1855 with
sll ,0TS. .55
A New Year, opens with conditions
radically different from those which
prevailed 4 year ago. Great financial
distrust existed them; but has passed
away. After&a whole. yearSof entire
freedom, from :disturbanceEo or .nlarm, in
which the country has paid heavy for
e!gn Indebtedness, taken and paid many
millions for stocks sent, from abroad
and accumulated credits against other
countries represented by merchandise
balance more than $3.50, 100000 in its IA
vor for the past five months, with de-
ferred exchanges for more than S20,o0o,-
GOO held by New York banks alone,
while the great industries have been
pushing their way into foreign markets
with unprecedented success, the none
tay situation IS no longer a matter Of
anxiety. More than half q million men
In o few states. according to official re-
ports. are employed now who were idle
year ago, and the general advance in
wages for those employed has gone far
to restore the rates prevailing before
the panic. The volume OF business
through clearing houses for the week,
l42 percent. larger than in 1892. has for
the month been 0.3 per cent. larger than
In that year, and In many industries
and branches Of business the latter
months Of this year have surpassed all
records. I.;.5,}',
The iron industry has been greatly
encouraged by increased demand dur
Ing the past few weeks, and, while the
slight improvement IN pig iron at Pitts
burgh has been maintained, notwith-
standing the greatest output ever
known, tllG NEW contracts for flushed
products have been unusual for the sea-
son. They include 10000 tons steel rails
to one eastern mill. 1000 tons struc-
tural work. for improvements ut New
York alone. with large operations ut
Chicago and other cities, and n greatly
Increased demand for manufacturing
materials generally, and especially for
sheets. Minor metals have been rather
weak, with tin ut 1876 cents and copper
at $l0.S7, in spite Of large exports, while
lead is quoted at $S.72ia and spelter at
s3S5. The best Bessemer full weight tin
plates are selling at $3.05, again $40
for foreign. No change in prices Of
coke appears, though the shipments
were the largest for any week this year.
The cotton industry is halted by the
question OF wages, although general
reduction now seems probable.
largely Of material for worsted goods
and their purchases have stimulated
buying by wool manufacturers. so that
the wool markets are stronger. though
without changes in quotations.
After the great excitement at Chicago,
wheat still goes out OF the country as
largely as before. Atlantic ports $780,
1S3 bushels, flour included, against l.
5i2, $40 last year, and from Pacific ports
1,742,625 bushels.
In four weeks the Atlantic exports
-four included, have been 15,O6O,0 ,047
bushels, against S,50o,1 ,161 last year.
Heavy western receipts are only re-
ilectlng temporarily conditions In the
Chicago market. But extraordinary
exports OF corn, 1i,a04.905 bushels,
against 9,4i4,S53 bushels in the four
weeks last year. shows how sorely for
etgn markets nre pushed by the lnCreas-
ing demand for brendstuffs. Wheat
hus declined " Of n cent with the Chi
cnso market and corn has meanwhile
advanced Y OF n cent. The corn move
ment continues remarkably heavy,
ard yet the slight advance last week is
maintained. The movement to dnte
although more than 100000 bales l,avh
come into sight. scarcely support the
largest current estimates. So ~
Failures for the week have been 3a5
In the United States. against $50 last.
year. aud 81 in Canada, against 80 last
year. 1zs II, II gS5