Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-03-18
SHOWING Is EXCELLENT.
Encouraging Reports of the CONNER
ciaI Situation.

:"
cial Situation.
New York, March 12.-R. G. Dun &
Co. in their weekly review of trade say:
1T is most gratifying that no industry or
branch of business shows any restriction
Or hindrance but some have been rapidly
gaining for the past week and month. The
railways are gaining even while spectators
are selling their stocks, and the demand for
products for all the great industries Is in
creasing. More gold Is coming from Eu-
rope than is needed, $10,S6S0 900 having been
ordered during the past week. and money
markets are nowhere alarmed or stringent.
though reasonably more cautious. The
country rests assured that it's industries,
almost all of it's business, the foreign de-
mand for Its products especially. and all
Its resources are beyond the reach of any
foreign power, and that It's honor and for
eign interests are In safe hands.
The greatest of all industries Is sending
grain forward as II there We're no limit to
the supply. Wheat exports have been 4,17,-
| a97 bushels, flour included, against 1,26S. III
last year from Atlantic and Pacific ports.
and for two weeks 1892 $50 bushels against
| 6Ol6.546 last year. Exports of corn In spite
of smaller yield have been 7.7O6.494 bushels
In two weeks, against s.3S6,6s9 last year,
| when they far surpassed all records; wheat
declined "a cents. but corn did not change
during the week. Cotton declined an eigth.
| Exports of principal products in February
were $751; ,091 In value. with increase over
last year of about 50 per cent. In bread
stuffs, in cotton % per cent, and 25 per cent.
| In the aggregate.
/, THE weekly output of pig iron was 22s,-
! 1888 tons February /, but 234, 430 March i,
and the increase of unsold stocks in Feb
ruary was only 6,S52 tons weekly, leaving
225.5S2 tons weekly for exports or consump-
| ton, against 21S457 in January and 2l5. 249 In
/ November 1895. the month of greatest con-
ttrt, 1,ae-
/ production has gained little, but con-
| sumption still more, ana II preparations
for war last only a few weeks, they will
| add much to the demand. Other consump-
ton for railroad cars for vessels on the
lakes, for elevators and oil pipe lines for
| agricultural implement works and for
| sheets Is beyond precedent, and structural
| and rail works are crowded with orders,
| though now receiving few. Prices are very
| strong, except for wire nails, which dropped
| because the great wire combination fell
| through, though smaller agreement is ex-
pected, and In some western dispatches is
| said to have been formed.
Failures for the week have been 246 In
the United States, against 255 last year,
and SO in Canada. against 81 last year"
Bradstreet's says:
Continued activity in nearly all lines OF
| distributive 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 and its various
forms and building material Is relatively
most active a. 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 -four as indicated by in
creased exports over last week and last
year. and bank clearings heavily exceeding
corresponding periods of previous years,
though smaller than in recent weeks. Less
favorable features are few, numbering
chiefly a weaker tone in prices of few
staples hitherto marked by extreme firm
ness, but chiefly perceptible in quotations
for some makes of coarse cotton goods
print cloths, raw wool, the demand fol
which is reported slower than any previous
time this year: wheat, which has been af-
fected by war rumors and the growth Of
the impression that the worlds wheat sup
plies at present prices will suffice, coffee
and sugar. The volume of business in the
Iron and steel trade is reported very large
with relatively best reports coming from
the west. Pig iron production shows q
further gain and stocks slight increase
The industrial situation seems likely to be
improved by the ending of the New Eng
land cotton mill strikes. Business Is gen
orally active at the west. Southern and
southwestern buyers are more active al
st. Louis. Kansas City packing houses re
port demand one-third larger than las
year. A perceptible improvement in dis
tribution Is noted at Chicago In many line.
! of trade. An order for 10000 tons of stee
rails Is a feature of the weeks business a
that city. Trade is of satisfactory yolum
at the northwest"