The evening times., 1898-11-19
Expected Trade Improvement
Already Under Way.
A CLEARING. G.HOUSE RECORD
PAYMENTS Last Week the Largest
Ever Known.
October's Exports Larger Than in
the Corresponding Month OF
Any Previous Year.

view of trade today says:
The situation is clearer, and the i'm
provement in business which was expected
after the election has begun Payments
through clearing houses are far the larg-
est ever known for the week 37.3 per cent
larger than last year and $50 per cent
larger than in 1892, and for the month the
daily average has been S254,o0 202 per
cent larger than last year and 1873 per
cent larger than in 1882.
Stocks have advanced steadily in the
face of heavy realizing by European hold
ers and domestic spectators, rising an
average of Sc cents for the week, though
trusts slightly declined. Railroad earn
ings fully support expanding valuations,
showing for October an increase OF 10
per cent, compared with October, 1892,
while Chicago eastbound tonnage has been
1SS, ,513 tons for three weeks, against 9f,l3'
last year and 103,714 in 1892.
Were it possible ii would be gratifying
TO say that a little stronger demand for
cotton. making the price 537 cents against
53l a week ago had solid basis, but
Southern markets recognize the fact that
the closing of many mills here and abroad,
owing 10 excessive stocks of goods on
hand. does not offer bright promise.
The wooden manufacture has gained in
orders for the coming season. which jus
tifies the heavy buying of materials re-
Gently seen, but the demand is not large,
and much machinery is still waiting idly
Failures for the week have been 223
in the United States, against 26' last
year. and % in Canada, against 81 last
year.
Bradstrect's tomorrow will say: Evi-
dence accumulates that the good results
flowing from the recent elections are no
! longer confined entirely to Improvement
In tone and confidence, though the above
feelings undoubtedly influence dealings
in both financial and mercantile lines.
Several substantial developments present
themselves this week. notable among
which are number of advances in prices,
exceptionally few declines thereof, grow
ing strength in the pig iron situation. IN
precedently large weekly bank clearings
and remarkably good reports as TO export
trade. not only in the line of foreign pro-
ducts, but in enlarged trade in manufac-
Iured products Distribution of merchan-
disc shows but little change from recently
preceding weeks, but the growth in con-
fidence is reflected in very general re-
ports on improved collections in past busi-
ness
/ First and foremost in the line of for
! eign trade extension are the returns re-
/ Gently made for October pointing 10 eX-
/ ports for that month larger than in the
/ corresponding month of any previous
! wear: secondly, TO those of December last
year. and chargeable not so much as for
merly to enlarged exports of farm pro-
I ducts but TO heavily increased exports of
finished products of American industry.
/ The strength in values of all cereals-ail
/ the leading breadstuffs are higher this
I WEEKS, Of course, due TO the constant
/ foreign demand. more than offsetting
very large gains In domestic supplies,
! which. however are still below any cor
! responding period for years past. The
( steel rail situation is apparently un-
changed, and much business is held up,
awaiting settlement of price and other
details. The tin plate combination is APP
parently an accomplished fact, and re-
/ ports are that those who order from now
on will have TO pay higher prices.
! Business failures in the United States
this week number 229 as against lS1 last
1 week and 235 in this week year ago.
Bank clearingS this week aggregate
/ record making totals. being the heaviest
ever reported for any single week. and ex
ceeding by nearly S200,050 900 the heavies
| former weeks total there is any record
Of For the week ending Thursday they ag
| gregated 81 127 la, 465,a gain over last weel
of IS per cent over this week one yeal
ago of 30 per cent, over 1895 OF 40 per cent
over 1895, n per cent. and, as compared
with 1893 and 1894. gains over 20 per cent
Compared with corresponding totals il
earlier years those from 1890 to 1892
inclusive. the gains shown range from
- TO IS per cent. Partly for the reason
that the grain and cotton movement Il
market was smaller during the thirC
quarter of the year than ii was one yea
ago. when wheat particularly was il
active demand and partly because of tn
Generalization of freight rates. gross an,
net railway receipts for the third quar-
ter OF 1898 fail to show as large gains a
they did earlier in the year As a whole
however, earnings receipts of the pres
ent year are still considerably ahead o
those of last year. The total gross earn
ings ef ia systems, opera ting large ma
jority of the railway mileage of the coun
try, aggregated S6S5, 779 315. while net re
turns amounted to $2l3.616 25S a gain i
gross receipts of - per cent, and an in
IN, yar of I