Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-07-07
FIRST HALF YEARS BUSINESS
MAKES A FAVORABLE SHOWING IN
MANY LINES OF TRADE.
An Unprecedented Export Trade With a
Good Demand Comparatively Few
Business Failurcs-Dccrcase In tho
Worlds supply of " heat.
New York. July l.--Bradsuccts to-mor-
row will say:

New York. July l.--Bradstrccts to-mor-
row will say:
The first half of the year closes with
q very satisfactory showing In many lines
Of trade, as evidenced by the returns OF
bank clcariugs, railroad earnings, reports
us to the consumptivc and distributive
demands. and last, but not least, by that
infallibe barometer OF the mercantile
World-busincss failures Iurbingcrs oil
the future are found in generally favor
ublc crop prospects, not only OF cercaIS
but of cotton, fruits and most products
of agricultural ana Il continued heavy Tor
cigu demand for American products. A
fiscal year Of unprecedented export trade
ends with quito Il decided Improvement IN
demand, manifcsting itself as a result OF
the break in the practically prohihitlNc
freight rates ruling for some time past.
1t Is true that some Interruptions ana
some exceptions to this generally luNOr-
able situation have been and are stiil
presenting themselves. Uncertainty re-
Eardiug the outlook as regards the pres
Cnt war undoubtedly acted as check to
trade this spring, It's effect being most
marked in the eastern hair OF the couh-
try. Here also UnfavOrablc weather ana
late and cold spring operated TO curtai
seasonuh,c demands In tho west ana on
the Pacific coast, hOWCV.r, little or no
Complaint Of this charactS was made and
with fairly good conditions south the
showing Tor the country us whole, con-
scuucntly. is the most favorable made for
years past and in fact, as regards vol
umo of business done, though not In every
instance. perhaps as regards profits, COM
parcs crcdtdbly with that for any year on
record.
Few important events are chroncled
this week in the business world.
The scmi-annudl shut down Of many IN
dustrial concerns particularly those In
iron and steel and glass and some textile
manufacturing concerns has been an
nounccd to occur In the first week OF July
but THIS has been without much etect
upon the prices of those staples. Advices
from the west lead to the belief that this
shut down In some cases may not occur at
all this year while in others the time de-
voted to repairs and stock taking Will be
considerably abridged. The situation in
iron is rather mixed one, most COM
plants coming from the East
Pig iron and steel rails reflect the less.
encd activity in a shading of prices.
The tone of the wheat markets contin-
ues 0carish Notwithstanding that the
worlds visible supplies have decreased 3d.
600 UU0 in two weeks and that the proba-
hiilties are that visible stocks Of old wheat
on August l win he as low If not lower
than last years. which were the smallest
on record for seven years.
Reports from the spring wheat district
continue favorable, hut there has I'M
doubtcdly been some loss In condition in
the winter wheat section. 4 heavy fall
ing oil in the condition OF the winter
wheat crop is indicated by Bradstrect's
correspondent mt Kansas city, but In spite
OF this that State is looked for TO produce
from 6o.OOOCO0 to 100000 bushels this
year. Rather less Stcadincss in prices is
Observable. most cereals, rork. lard, cot
ton, and several makes of pig iron being
lower fer the week. while the list of adj
vauces t. exceedingly small. Steadincss
has Ocen feature. however of raw wool.
hides and heavy leather coffee. sugar.
print cloths, copper ana lead A large dis
tr button Of blcached cottons at price con-
l-s3ious haS been a feature. and the de-
n'r'ld FOR iiags and fireworks this year is
conceded Ito be heavily in advance of past
year.
In spite Of unfavoralle features. there
were fcwci failures. smaller liabilities and
,onsIu, rtiy smaller assets this year than
in ans plc"i0u; year for four years past.
Bust css failures number G.i2gS per cent
fow-r than year agp-li less than I'm 1856
ard only three pcr cent larger than In 1923.
Liabilities too, ave smaller. agsrcgating
$1@l.o,3ll-23 per cent smaller than last
year: Il per cent smaller than i'm 1896: 90
per cent smaller than in 1895, ana u per
cent below those of 1893.
Relatively the best conditions appear In
the Northwest whore failures are 80 Ter
cent smaller in number and % per cent
smaller In liabilities. Other sections show
Ing good conditions, however are the
Western states. with a decrease Of ii per
cent in number ana i3 per cent in liabli-
ties the South with Il falling off of II per
cent in number ana % per cent in liabii-
ties and the Pacific States with decrease
OF per cent in number ana u per cent in
liabilities