The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-19
AMIS LOVELY.
Bradstreet's Reports the Business
Situation as Favorable All Along
the Line.

New York, Feb. 1s.-Bradstreet's
says today:
Favorable features dominate the gen
eral business situation as whole, and
few commercial conditions present
themselves which can be regarded as
IN any degree disturbing. Chief among
those factors which make for continued
or growing strength in commercial lines
may be mentioned the renewed tenden-
cy toward advances in quotations of all
staple articles and the SteadineSS of
prices in other lines where increases are
not at the moment reportable.
Perhaps second in the list of auspi-
cious features is the continuance of
marked activity in nearly all branches
of the iron and steel trade, more partic-
ularly in the central west where it is
authoritatively reported over 80 per
cent of the pig iron capacity is in blast.
The failure of the southern furnace men
TO reach a price agreement is of course
a depressing feature in that section,
Wnlcn, however, finds cOunterbalan-
cling factor in the intention to advance
prices reported from bessemer ore pro-
ducers.
The volume of distributive trade
shows an increase, notably in dry goods
and groceries, also many widely sepa-
rated points so as to warrant cOnclu-
sion that spring trade is receiving a
and steel mills are reported generally
buSlly employed and unwilling to take
orders for early delivery At Chicago
3OOOO tons of steel rails have been sold
in the past two weeks. The bicycle
trade is reported starting up we'll at the
west, but is still slow at the east, where,
however, the cotton goods situation is
one of hopeful strength, owing to the
strength of raw material and the re-
Strlct1On of production due to the New
England mill strikes. The strength of
cotton, sugar and rice and the demand
for iron all faVors the southern trade
situation, which is also being helped by
by the growing trade in cotton
goods. The activity in Alaskan ship
mentS keeps vessels on the Pacific coast
busy and freight rates are firm. Cali
1ornla crop prospects are not encOur-
aging as a whole
Business failures continue to decrease,
aggregating only 263 for the week,
against 213 last week; 1926 in the CORE
spending week of 1897; 276 in 1896; 327
in 1885, and 233 in 1894.
AS above intimated, the price situa-
ton is one of local strength. Compared
with week ago, not one article of sta
pie use is reported lower, although some
low grades of wool would have to be
shaded if sales were made. This was
owing to the absence of manufacturers
from the market for the past few weeks
Prices of nearly all kinds of grain, but
notably wheat, corn and flour, and of
most metals and particularly steel bill
lets, copper, lead and tin, have advanc-
ed. The agreement by the bessemer ore
producers will probably result in an
advance on the coming seasons output.
Cereal exports tend to increase. Ex-
ports of wheat (fiOur included) for the
week aggregate 1882, IA bushels, as
against 3,419, 600 bushels last week; q
10000 bushels last year; BIAS, 600 bush
els in 1896, and 1,S08, 600 bushels in 1895.
The bulk of this increase over last week
is chargeable to large flour. exports.
Indian corn exports for thesweek are.
also larger, rejecting the turning of
attention toward the lower-priced GER
Gals in a total amounting to 5056. 900
bushels,as compared with A. sos 900 bush
els last week; 6,441, 900 bushels in this
week year ago; 1926, 900 bushels in
1896, and $4,000 bushels in 1895.