Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-06-21
TRADE REVIEW.
Many Hopeful Features in Coinmer-
cial Lines shown by Brnd-
street and Dun.

New York, June 2O.-Bradstreet's says:
unprecedented foreign trade totals, in
volving heavily increased shipments of
breadstuffs, provisions, raw cotton and
manufactured products; fauering crop
prospects, pointing to very large yield of
wheat and most other cereals, as well as
cotton; profitable railway operations as
reflected in relatively higher gains in net
than In gross receipts; activity In nearly
all lines Of manufacturing except some
textile branches; prices for most staples
showing heavy advances over the pre-
ceding year: bank clearinss exceeding all
previous records al this date: volume
of new demand limited in the east ard
south TO midsummer dullness. but in the
west and northwest comparing favorably
with records of previous years, and low
rate of business mortality. are all features
of the general business situation at the
present time.
1.-THE collapse of Letter and his deal in
wheat, with the decentralization In prices
which was concomtant, has been fol-
lowed by quieter feeling in cereal mar
kets, but export demand. partly on carly
placed orders. has improved. and moro IS
doing by flour millers. 1t is true that the
continued wet weather In sections west
of the Mississippi is affecting wheat har-
vesting, but trade opinion leans to crop
of 700,C00.0G0 bushels of wheat and large
yields of most other cereals. with corn
promising least favorably.
1.-The price situation for the week reflects
steadiness. the only important decreases
being in southern pig iron, wheat and
flour, while hides are higher at the west, a
number of metals having been advanced.
and oats, corn, lard and cotton note frac-
tional advances.
"The west and northwest continue the
scene Of relatively most activity alike In
demand and movement of merchandise.
The excellent crop prospects in the north
west are reflected in satisfactory trade
in seasonable goods and a relatively larger
volume of orders for fall trade, with the
aggregate sales at most cities heavily in.
excess of the corresponding week in re-
cent years"
r. G. Dun & Co., in their weekly review
of trade, say:
THE passing of the war tax bill, the Of
fering of bonds and the collapse of Letter
and cash wheat. have made the week
somewhat exciting. In spite of some fea-
lures which cannot be justified, the tax
bill was approved as probably the best
that could be obtained from congress this
year, and gave assurance of needed rev.
enuc for the emergency. Its bond provi-
sion has already called out offers for more
than three times the amount desired, and
it probably will prove the most successful
loan ever invited by the United States. A
great victory in the field could hardly be
more important. especially in its influence
on foreign opinion. Not less significant
was the excess of exports over SFaa7r5orts II
May by $56.9S0, 1853, malSirs--a merchandise
balance in favS@effhe United States of $751;
$50, 1jn.11- months of the fiscal year. while
net imports of gold were s1G2. 1859. though
in no previous fiscal year have the net
imports OF gold exceeded $g7,4661 1877 In 1882.
mo. less important is the official show.
ing that this nation has supplied to others
10.05S,20S bushels of wheat and $4,000. 0Od
bushels of corn In 111s months. without
checking receipts from farms. and sees
wheat fall 20 cents in a week because a
crop is promised greater than the last by
100, O00,0 900 bushels. This decline would have
come sooner had not Mr.. Letter looked fol
larger gains. but the benefit to this coun.
try by the average advance of nearly q
cents for the crop year on wheat export
ed has been about $4S.00O.O0O. and to pro.
ducers much greater
Failures for the week have been 23i
in the United States. against 234 last year.
and 20 in Canada. against s6 last year."