Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-11-17
The business situation.

X. q. Dun Il Co.'s Review for this
week says that 1.-The volume Of trade
has Dsen the greatest ever known in
October, and the greatest ever known
in any month except December, 1892.
The record for. November thus far
shows cleariugs 1914 per cent larger
than last year, and 9.3 per cent larger
than in 1899, The railroad earnings
in October have been By per cent
larger than last year, and 8 per cent
larger than 10 1882. Foreign trade
shows an increase Of 20 per cent in
October in exports, with IS per cent in
exports from New York last week,
while imports showed a.g gain of only,
% per cent in October, and credits
against foreign bankers were piling up
at an inconvenient rate. There was
and is absolutely no anxiety about the
currency, and the Treasury is only too
strong. When enormous exports Of
products are, considered, it seems
quite impossible for the country to
meet with serious monetary trouble,
especially in view Of past surplus in
favor Of this country. Wheat declined
nearly cent, but recovered all the
loss, with Atlantic exports, flour in
cluded, OF 1898, 500 bushels against
3,274, 4s9 last year, and Pacific exports,
1,01, 1851, against 1852, 1853 last year
Iron production, November LIST, was
22s, 1885 tons weekly, against 2l5,6
October LIST, and decrease is seen of
35.2il tons in stocks unsold outside
the holdings of the great steel com
panies. indicating an actual con
sumption of l,019,646 tons in October,
about 2S3 tons daily, greater than the
largest ever shown in any previous
month on record. The export demand
is beyond all dreams, 10000 tons rails
for Northern Europe, and 100, 900 tons
plates besides 4,500 tons bilfets from
Pittsburg alone, with great quantities
of bars, rods, wire and other finished
products. Wool sales for the past week
were only 7,437, 800 pounds at the three
chief Eastern markets, and were Sc
cured by concessions at all markets,
as last week, making IS, 23l, 800 pounds,
against 1862. 903 for the same two
weeks last year, and 10, 28a, 600 pounds
for the same weeks in 1892 Every
class of railways have reported gain
compared with 1892 which is sur
prising, and the aggregate with the
| United States alone is Sol, $40, TAT for
October, about $1,000 miles being re-
ported, exceeding 81 per cent the re-
ports OF the same roads for 1897, and
per cent the reports Of the same roads
for 1892. Traffic for the first week OF
November shows encouraging CON
ditions, with very heavy movement -
Saturday Is issue OF Bradstreet' 8 claims
that while the influence Of the
elections and of unfavorable weather
has been such as to temporarily reduce
tho volume of current trade, the innate
strength Of the general trade situation
is shown by the very satisfactory re-
ports received as to bank clearings,
railroad earnings, prices and other
measures of business development OF
course, any effort to measure the real
effect of the uncertainty as to the out,
come Of the elections would be futile,
and We must content ourselves with
knowing that the quieting down OF
business Just preceding il was only
normal. The fact is brought out that
in this direction, at least, no hesitation
was apparent, and the steady advance
toward higher level Of values noted
for some time past was maintained
during the month Immediately pre-
ceding the election. Not enough time
has elapsed since that event to allow
of many favorable effects in CON-
mercial lines, but that good effects
must necessarily follow from the sound
money victory is conceded, and the
stock market, us usual, has begun to
discount tho expected good results. A
good recorder demand for staple goods,
particularly dry goods and clothing, is
reported at most Western points, where
spot demand and retail trade have
L. 4E l.-. r. A =