The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-19
THE TRHDE SITUATION.

\ OTHING could be tanner than trade at present
u There is feature out OF the common hum
drum course OF business as far anybody car
see. The commercial statistical authortC5 chronicle
the usual schedule OF comparative bank clearngs
comparative failures, comparative exports, and
The current year shows up we'll enough under this
cold-blooded comparative business, though it is de-
fcient in several directions Thus the bank clearings
OF the county last week per cent behind those
OF the corresponding week last year. and those of San
Francisco have been running behind for some weeks
owing the recent dry season. already mentioned
The loss last week was particularly heavy in New
York, where it up to 81 per cent and was due to
the falling off in speculation in Wall street and to
contraction in financial operations through fear of a
possible tight money market These apprehensions,
however, seemed to disappear at the close of the
week, the market strengthened considerably under
foreign and local buying, and the day of the bears
much curtaied thereby.
Merchandise conditions remain practically I'M
changed The railway earnings still ahead of last
year. and this indicates larger business but whether
this larger business attended with the profit OF
former years is question which is doubted in some
quarters The great staples continue dull rule
at unchanged prices Some cotton mills have
stopped, while as an offset some wooden mills report
more business Hides and leather are in fair shape,
ing the week The weeks failures IA, against
2o4 for the same week last year.
The local markets share the commonplace as
poets OF the national ones. The whole field
is barren of feature if certain hardening tendency
in wheat during the past few days be excepted.
Nobody seems to know exactly why wheat
should go up at the moment, but it has GER
tanly improved during the past week, and closed
firm, though very dull. Following the governing
cereal, barley also strong at a slight advance,
and hay likewise developed strength closing the
week with small advances in some descriptions. In
deed the whole list OF farm products appeared in bet
ter shape than at the close of the preceding week.
though there no especial activity.
The fruit season is drawing to close. It has been
profitable to the State the whole with indi-
vdua losses here and there but some people are al
ready beginning to worry about next year. They
fear that the present has been so dry that the
fruit buds for next years crops will not develop,
hence 1899 will turn out deficient in fruit, like 1893
This may prove true, but there in trying to
cross bridge before gets to it. There will be
plenty OF time next year to worry about next years
fruit crop
Jobbers and exporters of merchandise are not COM
planning about trade, it is natural infer that they
doing fairly For the rest collections are reported
average, failures still running small and generally
unmportant, and the supply of money is in excess OF
the demand rule
Briefly, business is in that condition where it is
impossible to find much to say about it one way or
the other. As long as it remains thus we are ali
right.