The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-01-08
THE WEEK IN TRADE CIRCLES.

THE wEEKsN TRADE CIRCLES.
quiet CopfidcDce Pcrvndcs Business
at the Opening of tho Ycnr.
New York. Jan. 7.-Bradstreets to-
morrow will say:
The year opens with q tone of quiet
confidence pervading nearly all branch
es OF business, with encouraging activ-
tty In the iron trade, Il resumption of
work by many thousands of industrial
employees In the Western glass industry
a largely reduced volume of business
failures rs compared with CORE pond-
ing periods in preceding years and q
general outlook certainly not inferior
to any previous year at this time. Dis
sr9butive trade has naturally bsea
rather slow pending stock taking and
the return Of statesmen to the field
While the volume of distributive bust
ness Is no larger. industrial activity Is
n special feature unconfned to any
one section. but especially notable in
The west. Resumption Of work after
the holidays has been generally en-
couraging in that section Autumn
weather In the Northwest checks dis
trfbution, but collections are reported
good. Sales Of Southern iron are large.
Louisiana sugar crop returns have
0Ieen very satisfactory. Nine-tenths
or FIorida's orange crop was gathered
oefore the late freeze, and cotton Is
steady on good export demand Wool
has opened UP actively at some Eastern
markets and lower prices for cotton
goods have stimulated some demand
wheat exports from the United States
ana Canada for the first week in inn
nary amount to 3,+Sl. $40 bushels against
o,49'oOo last week, 3,10s000 bushels IN
TINS week year ago, and 3.471 ,O0o
1886 y"
Corn exports also show a sensible d.
minution, Amounting TO 1886. o0o hush
els last week. 4,S.5,0oO bushels In this
week year ago, and 2.626. coo bushels
IN the corresponding week nf 1896.
DUN'S REVIEW.
r. G, Dun e Co.'s weekly review ~
trade Will say in Its issue to,morrow.
In faliures 1897 was not only the best
year since 1892 hut on the whole the
pest ever definitely known With IA 400
tailures In number. 11.5 per cent. less
than 1896, and $751;, 5Sl,771 defaulted LA
nihtles. $40 per cent. less than in 1895
the years banking failures counted
lot $2S,249 zoo. and the commercial fail
ures were but 1881. with liabilities M
s15i,332.07 the average per failure ha
Ing only 81 $50 the lowest over known
except in 1892
But even in that year the failures
during the last half averaged liabilities
OF Sl0,4IT per failure, while In tho lac,
half of 1857 the average was only 80, 593
The returns by branches of business
SHOW that In Is out of 2S Glasses :hr
F,liures were lower than in any pro
vious year Of which there Is record
with especially large decreases in thu
great number Of unclassfied manufac-
turing and trading failures Moreover
the year showed remarkable decrease
as some other prosperous wears have
SHOWN increases. comparing the second
with the first half. The new wear b.,
gun with disappointment for snecuI,
,ion IN stocks and grain. wh!;h Is not
pau sign. Prices % srccks have Eainad
a little. after yielding NJ first and
close 7a cents per share hrhsr fr-
railroads and $1.05 per share higher fnr
the trusts -''
!, Wheat declined ~ cents owing IN
lne termination of the corner M Chi
cago. and Western receipts were about
double last years with Atlantic exports
s'sW.3lo bushels, -four included. acainst
Z,i50909 last year a speculative .stI-
mate makes the quantity stu in farm
ars, hands 40 per cent. of the cron
which Is quite possible. but the CON
sumption and exports IN half the wear
ought 10 take more than 40 per cent
or the years supply. A fleet OF yes
seis Is reported at Baltimore or on the
why thither for wheat Exports Of corn
for the week fell below last years, al
though Western receipts are unusually
large and the price fell but q of a. cent,
Cotton was disappointment TO many
Deca@se 1t did not change at all in snot
prices. although the accounts Of reduc-
ton In wages by New England works
warrant hope OF larger consumption,
The cotton manufacture Is a. little
encouraged by larger demand for goods
since the reduction in prices, and the
abstention Of buyers for months past
has probably been due in large meas
iire to expectation OF that reduction,
but with the certainty that the print
cloth works are to continue prices have
further declined to 2.l2 cents. The
WOODEN and worsted mills are both buy
Ing wool quite largely at prices pro-
badly CLOSE TO the best, for reports
which declared there were no oonccs-