The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-29
INCREASE IN BUSINESS
MANY FATORABLE FEATUREs SEEN
BYDUy AND BRADSTREETS.
Prices Not So Much Improved as Expect
ed-Iron Works All Busy-Nheat Rises
suddonly-Cotton Better.

| Company's Weekly REVIEW OF lIdne' WIN
say tomorrow:
The first month Of the new year mas
brought rather more increase In business
but less Improvement In prices than was
expected.
With payments through clearing house
10 per cont. larger than in 1872, and prob
ably the largest ever known IN any
month. with railroad earnings H. per
cent larger than the best OF the past
! years the fact that prices are very low
only shows more clearly the increase IN
quantities Of products sold. Nor is
there any disposition 10 refuse ORDERS
even at present prices, indeed the COM
petition Of manufacturers seeking oruerS
alone prevents a rise. Most OF thoh
have all they can manage, many working
night and day and one great steel con-
Germ running on Saturday but the works
not vet filled with orders are seeking
! contracts at as low prices as have ever
been made. indicating that even these
are not entirely Improbable.
The settlement OF wages on ten per
cent. advance April 1st, for 2VvJ coal
miners of the Central region, with other
changes, will tend toward a larger de-
mand for products OF all kinds though
also toward some increase in cost or
manufacture
WHEAT.
Wheat has been conspicuous. rising hVe
cents for the week with five and one
| eighth cents for May options. Western
receipts have been 10WJ,O53 bushels lh
four weeks against G0iJ.112 last year,
but Atlantic exports have been l2oo5.s-S
bushels i'm four weeks against iloj.oH
| last year and Pacific exports without Ia
coma for the week 4,0lJ5S bushels
against 3l5igs5 last year. So heavy an
| out 10 with wheat over 81 per bushei ana
with corn exports for the four weeks
tQualling the extraordinary movement
Of last year. disci0ses The strength OF
foreign demand even better than current
accounts Of disappointing shipments from
Argentina and poor prospects ln Russia
Cotton has risen 1-l6. Notwithstanding
the strikes in Eastern mills and the oili-
ciaI report Of decrease Of 1913 per cent.
IN British exports OF cotton goods Last
year Receipts sin Jun 80 far beyond
those following the largest crop on re-
cord that estimates once deemed extra
VACANT are commonly accepted.
The cotton Manufacturer is IN more diff
hculty than any other because prices do
not much improve, nor as yet the demand
for goods though both are helped by the
closing OF many mills but largely be-
cause the manufacturers and workers
have considered too little the rapidly
growing production at the South.
WOOLENS
The wooden manufacture is doing well,
nne worstcd goods having opened at an
advance of 20 per cent over last year,
and the large mills are constantly buy
ing even at current high prices which i'm
plies great confidence IN the future, pre-
sumably based on larger orders than are
publicly reported. Such purchases Of
wool have been frequent Of late even by
mills supposed 10 D. supplied FAR ahead.
and one Providence mill appears 10 have
taken 10000 pounds worsted wool at
Wheeling this week Sales at three Of
the chief markets have been S0S0l01
pounds. and for four weeks 3Oi2l.010 of
which 2l.36L710 were domestic against
3G5iLC0O last year of which 23.391.300 were
domestic.
The iron manufacturer is getting larger
orders for finished products. which crowd
many works almost beyond their capac-
ity. although some others are still In the
market and keeping prices down. Pig
iron is steady except that Bessemer Mt
Plttsburg is 10 cents lower. the output
last year being officially reported as
y.6J2Gs0 tons. and the consun ption i'm this
country. unsold stocks considered. 962j
81 tons against 960l.50i I'm the largest
previous year which was 1895, and 939i-
$50 tons in 1892
Failures for the week have been 3i2 I'm
the United states against 81 last year
and 81 in Canada against 81 last year.
Brad,treets.
NEW YORK. Jan. 2s.-Bradstrects to-
morrow will say:
Favorable conditions I'm the trade situa-
ton continue 10 far outweigh those of an
opposite character. stormy weather
throughout @ large section OF the country
this week has checked the movement Of
merchandise.
The last week OF the month closes
with increased activity i'm many lines, q
number Of price advances; heavily-in-
creased bank clearings, as compared with
one year ago. at nearly all cities, anoth-
err considerable drop IN the number of
failures reported; large exports oil &c
reals, particularly wheat, corn and -four
and pcrccptible confidence In nearly an
branches of trade as regards the outlook
for spring business.
Another favorable feature IS the slight
but distinct Improvement in the cotton
goods. under which speculative activity
is awakening. Print cloths are higher,
and some makes of gray and medium
weight cottons are more firmly held.
Pig iron is rejecting the effect Of the
present unprecedented production, and
a further weakening In prices Is recorded
at Eastern points. At the West. how
ever. consumption OF pig and products Of
iron and steel is reported increasing so
as TO hold prices firm. Large sales OF bar
steel and rails are reported at Chicago
and ST. Louis. with mills refusing to take
o~farc for delivery earlier than late eur1-
mer
Boots and shoes hold the late advance
and managers Of heayy-woights will not
take orders for fall delivery at present
prices. Wool IS strong on large sales and
firm prices abroad.
STAPLES HIGHER.
Prices of most staple products are
higher on the week. noticeable instances
are those Of wheat, which is past the dol
lar mark again at many western mar
kels. The active demand for the Klon-
dixie trade is reflected In canned goods,
stocks OF which are reported very low
with prices holding the late advance.
Collections are generally reported fair.
those indicating hackwardress coming
most generally from the South.
Cereal exports again heavy. total
shipments Of wheat, including -four, for
the week amounting TO 5,ll062i bushels.
against $4,000 bushels last week. 2.5l5.-
go in this week "a year ago. 2.550.OO0 BUSH
els in 1896 and $4,000 bushels In 1854.
Corn exports have also heavily increas-
ed from last week, amounting TO 4,%zUO
bushels against 3.i.6 900 bushels last week
30liO0O bushels las. year 3l1Le BUSH
els in 1896 and 9i2.O0O bushels in 1895.
Business failures for the week are the