The herald., 1898-03-12
Releases. $1,000 and Over
Bradstreet's Report

NEW YORK. March 11-Bradstreet's to-
morrow will say:
Continued activity in nearly all lines of
dlstributive trade, but more particularly
at the larger cities of the west, south and
the far northwest, continues to be the most
favorable feature coming under notice.
That the demand for dry goods, groceries,
hardware, iron and steel in its various
forms and building material is relatively
most active at the west seems evident from
the slight tone of disappointment in re-
ports from leading eastern markets. where
business Is reported moving less rapidly
than at the interior. Other favorable fea-
lures include the heavier foreign demand
for wheat and flour as indicated by in
creased exports over last week and last
year, and bank clearings heavily exceed
corresponding periods of previous years,
though smaller than In recent weeks. Less
favorable features are few, numbering
chiefly weaker tone in prices of few
staples, hitherto marked by extreme firm
ness, but openly perceptible in quotations
Tor some makes of coarse cotton goods,
print cloths, raw WOOL the demand for
which is reported slower than any previous
time this year; wheat, which has been
aHected by war rumOrs and the growth of
the Impression that the worlds wheat
supplies at present prices will suffice. the
volume of business in the iron and steel
trade is reported very large. with relative
~ best reports coming from the west. Fig
iron production shows further gain and
stocks slight increase. Large sales of
ported higher for the week, as are also the
quotations for Indian corn and wheat
flour. The industrial situation seems likely
to be improved by the ending of the New
England cotton mill strikes.
Business is generally active at the west.
Southern and southwestern buyers are
more active at st. Louis. Kansas City
packing houses report demand one-third
larger than last year. A perceptiblc i'm
provement in distribution is noted in Chi
cago in many lines of trade. An order for
10000 tons of steel rails is q feature of the
weeks business at that center. Trade is
of satisfactory volume at the northwest.
Export business in flour and wheat from
the Pacific coast shows considerable
gain. Boat building is active on Alaskan
account. A good business is doing at the
south.
Business failures in the United States
this week number 247 against 2S2 last week
and 227 in the corresponding week of 1897.
Business failures in the Canadian dominion
this week number 81 against q last week
and sc in 1897.
Larger wheat and flour, but smaller corn
shipments are feature of export trade
this week. The total exports of wheat
(flour included) from the United States
and Canada this week aggregated 4,4S4.761
bushels against 3,252, $50 bushels last week
and l,599,iS2 bushels in 1896.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Bradstreets review of the stock market
will say: Speculation is nervous and very
oeHSitiNe ~ tie iliHuciice arising III Coli-
nection with the Cuban situation and our
relations with Spain. The market is in
the hands of professional operators and the
public is doing little or nothing. In fact,
the liquidation of the last fortnight has
been very severe and there is disposition
on all sides to wait developments. After
lower market on Saturday the week be-
gan with violent break in the first quarter
of an hour on Monday. due to the report
that Spain had demanded the withdrawal
of our consul-general at Havana and also
to the weakness of the whole London
market on the news of Russia S aggressive
attitude in China and the unfavorable at
by the supreme court of the Nebraska
maximum rate case in favor of the rail-
roads had comparatively little effect In
fact, throughout the week the influence of
the far eastern question in London was
reflected here and aided in unsetting spec
ulative feeling and increasing additional
caution,