The San Francisco call., 1898-11-21
OUR COMMERCIAL STANDING.

" present there no indications that the m \ provement in trade due to the result or the 1 ! fall elections is on the wane. On the con trarv as far as can be judged by the country bank cearngs it is increasing These cearlngs last week were 352 per cent larger than those ot the cor responding week last year. and the only important city to show decrease was Buffalo The increase ln business in New York was 800 per cert III Boston 24z per cent, in Chicago So per cent in St. Louis 200 per cent in Pittsburg 26 per cent, in Omaha 30 per cent in Kansas City 2o6 per cent, ln Denver 5I4 per cent and so on all over the country. The re- turns show that all sections of the nation are leading 1897 in the volume of business The failures for the week were 233 against 267 during the same week last year.
 At the same time there Is no boom Tn anything The staples remain quiet as rule and there Is no particular disposition speculate There have been heavy sales of bonded wool for re-export to England which is good sign it may indicate the turning ot the tide in the wool industry Cotton is doing rather better. in sympathy with an improving tone in the ooods market The exports of breadstufs from the Atlantic coast are large, owing to constant toregn demand The call for iron seems to be growing, though some Eastern mills report shortage in orders The leading groceries are showing more strength. and several have advanced slightly. The distribution of merchandise shows little change, but collections are reported better on back business
 
 none of the excitement that characterized the pre- cedng week But 1t noticed that any concessions in price immediately brought out large buying or ders showing strong undercurrent to the market. Early in the week the New York money market hardened somewhat, but this only momentary, as it was soon discovered that any pronounced strin- gency would result in free influx of gold, not only from the interior of the country, but from Europe,
 Tn this latter connection the enormous imports of gold from foreign countries particularly interest ing The October statement of the Treasury Bureau of Statistics, just issued, shows that the imports ln 1898 are the largest in the history of the country, while the exports are the smallest for many years. The imports of gold during the first ten months of the year were $I43658,ooo, which is more than 50 per cent larger than in any previous year. The eX- ports were only $I4o6Iooo, which leaves an excess of imports Of $I2o5o6ooo, which is enormous. It IS only two or three years back when the situation III regard to the gold movement just the other way The total money in circulation November I was SI, ,866.575 against $I7o6,733,ooo on the cor responding date in 1897 The increase in circulation during the last two years foots up $356,85oooo
 Tn California the week shows some changes, among which the breaking up of the long dry spell by Sat urday's rain is the most prominent. The protracted drought was causing alarm, especially as the scientists were freely predicting another dry season. The State needs two three inches ot rain to put it into good spirits and If get the change from apathy to activity will be marked. Already the live stock market was beginning to harden under the
 growing shortage in feed, and higher prices for beef veal mutton and pork reported. The rainfall was not sufficient, up Saturday, to affect the diff ferent markets one way the other the average be- ing about zs of an inch for the northern half of the State and practically nil for the southern half Still, # was an opening wedge, and such had its effect
 The local staples rather steadier rule last week While there nothing doing in wool, the feeling was better, owing to the improvement al ready noted in the East The grain markets un- settled with fair demand for most descriptions. The tendency in dairy products upward Hides were quiet and easy Fruits, fresh and dried were inactive and featureless. Merchandise quotations showed few changes. Collections were up to the average at this season of the year. and there large, failures reported From to the close of the year business will probably be restricted in volume and devoid of interesting feature, unless something out of the way occurs.