The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-04-16
WEEKLY REVIEW OF TRADE
SOME HXNDRANCE TO BUSINESS
 OWING TO WAR TALK.

O"ANU AO " WAn 4ALhs
 Still for all This the Payments Through
 Clearing Houses Continue 1e e Per Cent.
 Larger Than Last Year--Industries Doing
 We'll on Orders Received Early in the
 Year.
 New York, April 15.-R. G. Dun 6 Co.'S weekly review of trade will say tomorrow: The meaning of congress regarding Spain is not in doubt, but the form of declaration at this hour Is in question. Preparations for war con- tinue as if it were inevitable There is some hindrance in business and yet the volume of payments through clearing houses is still 12.9 per cent. larger than last year and outside of New York about POP per cent. larger than in 1892. though speculative stagnation here makes the aggregate lower. New York banks may now realize they are strong enough for all present emergencies and may give the government valuable aid by greater freedom in business loans.
 The industries are doing well be cause they have enormous orders talk en in February or March or earlier which insure operations for periods varying from a fortnight to several months, but the new orders upon which they have to rely, if rartial stopping or closing of the works is to be pre- vented are just now restricted by apprehension about the money market and the possibility of loans. Men who complain are not those who can calmly shut down their works wholly or in part and wait. In the iron trade for eign orders for six large vessels are pending in eastern shipyards and act- ual orders for cars alone cover 2O.0O0 tons of basic steel at Pittsburg. Angles have been advanced $1 per ton and structural works are all crowded with orders, while pipes are in heavy de- mand.
 In boots and shoes remarkably heavy orders have been booked. Shipments from the east are larger than last year by r per cent, but less than in the first half of April, 1895, though greater than in any other year. Still lower contracts are reported in leather of some varieties, and packer hides at Chicago are a shade weaker in some grades. With prices for print cloths still at the lowest point ever touched. buying of cotton goods is more hir- dered than many are willing to admit by the idea that other goods not equal- ly overproduced, may likewise decline in price. The stagnation in wool Is something remarkable, the total saIes at the three chief markets having been only 1,884,884 pounds against 960,875 last year. and in the first half of April only 1,S45,643 pounds. Manufacturers are still waiting, although somewhat encouraged by rather better tone in the clothing trade of late They have ample stock on hand
 Wheat rose 51s and held 21s cents for the week, although Atlantic exports for the week have been 3,231, ,245 bush- els, flour included, against 876,719 last markedly heavy and the experts for year. Receipts of corn continue re- markedly heavy and the exports for the week have been 4,463,031 against 2,70S,73S bushels last year. The ex- ports of cotton in March were also In quantity nearly double last years, al- though in average price somewhat lower, the foreign demand being un- abated.
 Because of this extraordinary outg0 of products, gold imports rise and the orders for shipment from Europe and Australia have now exceeded $60, 900 with the prospect that the movement may not be checked until rates for money abroad have been materially advanced. The volume of legitimatA business is enormous, and meanwhile failures are remarkably small; for the week they have been 254 in the United States against 2O7 last year and IS In Canada against 30 last year.