The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-02
TRADE SHOWING
SATISFACTORY.
The Half Years Showing is Good as
Evidenced BY Business Returns.
FAVORABLE CROP PROSPECTS.
These are Regarded as Harbingers OF
the Future-Few Events are Chron.
icIed. But the General Tone or
Business is Good.
FAVORABLE CROP PROSPECTS.

NEW YORK, July l.-Bradstreet's to-
morrow will say:
In a period. as usual. devoted largely
to stock taking and with holiday and
midsummer influences making for mar
row and restricted trade. there is little
that is novel to be found regarding cur
rent distribution. The first half Of thu
year closes with very satisfactory
showing possible in many lines OF trade.
as evidenced by the returns OF bank
clearings, railroad earnings. reports as
TO the consumpuve and distrihuuve de-
mands. and last, but not least by me
infallible barometer OF the mercantile
world business failures.
HARBINGERS OF GOOD TIMES.
Harbingers of the future are found in
the generally fevorably crop prospects.
not only of cereals, but OF cotton. fruits
and most products of agriculture and
continued heavy foreign demand for
American products.
Few importast events are chronicled
this week In the business world. The
semi-annual shut down Of many indus
trial concerns, particularly those IN iron
and steel and glass and some text man
ufacturing concerns has hoen announced
10 occur i'm the first week % July. but
this has been without much effect upon
the prices OF those staples. Advices
from the West. indeed. lead TO the belief
that this shut down, in some cases, may
not occur at all this year. while IN others
the time devoted TO repairs and the tax
ing will be considerably abridged.
SITUATION MIXED.
The situation - iron g a rather mixed
one. most complaints coming from tho
East. II is significant. however that
the fall in ocean freight rates has been
credited with improving demand for iron
and steel for export and considerable or
ders have been already booked.
The tone Of the wheat market continues
bearish. Notwithstanding that the worlds
visible supplies have decreased l3N0.V0
bushels I'm two weeks, and that the
probabilities are that visible stocks OF
old wheat on August 1st Will be as low.
If not lower. than last years. which were
the smallest on record for seven years.
A heavy falling on IN the condition OF
the Kansas wheat crop IS indicated.
RICES LESS STEADY.
Rather less steadiness IN prices is OBJ
seryable. most cereals pork, lard, cotton
and several makes Of pig iron being low
er for the week. while the list OF ad-
vances is exceedingly small. Steadiness
has been feature, however, OF raw
wool hides and heavy leather. coffee,
sugar and print cloths, copper, lead. A
large distribution Of bleached cottons
at price concessions has ben a feature.
and the demand for flags and fireworks
this year Is conceded 10 be heavily IN
advance Of past years
GRAIN EXPORTS.
Cereals still move abroad in quantities
unprecedented for the time 81 year,
Wheat shipments for the week aggre'
gate ZIG 4O1 bushels as against 3Ig9il
bushels last week, and. compared with
2,77S. S4S bushels IN this week n year ago
col, 096 bushels in 1886. 20o103i bushels ~
1895 and 1.S502cO bushels IN 1894. Corr
exports show a decrease from last week
aggregating 26gl. $50 bushels. against 3. 9o2..
321 bushels last week. 1o2593S bushels 1
year ago 195s. 65l bushels IN 1876 3SS ~
bushels IN 1895. and 100 bushels in 1856
FAILURES STILL DECREASE.
In spite OF untavorable features there
were fewer failures. smaller liabilities.
and consequently smaller assets this
year than in any previous year for four
years past
Business failures number ei29. per
cent fewer than a year ago Is per cent.
less than In 1896 and only per cent
larger than in 1892. Liabilities too ara
smaller. aggregating t72l202n . per
cent smaller than last wear. n Der cen-.
smaller than in 1875. 95 per cent. smaller
than in 1895. and 81 per cent below thoss
OF 1872
business failures IN Canoda for six
months OF the present year make 8
decidedly good showing They number
Sfs. involving s. ~ fi7 a decrease 81 -
rer cent I'm number and IN liabilities
10 compared with last year. ana making
SIN better comparisons with earlier pc
Rods