Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-02-08
TRADE OUTLOOK IS GOOD.
First Month of the New Year Shows
Decided Increase in Business
Transactions.
PRICES, HOWEVER, DO NOT ADVANCE.
Competition In Manufacture 10 We
sponsible - Larger Demand Still
for All Kinds of Products Predict
ed-Foreign Demand for cram on
the Increase-FailurcsI or q week.

New York. Jan. 29.-R. G. Dun q Co..
in their weekly review Of trade, say:
THE first month of the new year mas
brought rather more Increase IN business
but less improvement in prices tnan was
expected. With payments through cte ea
houses 7.3 per cent. larger than IN 1872 allu
probably the largest ever known IN any
month, with railroad earnings liz per cent.
larger than the best Of past years, the 1act
that prices are very low only shows more
clearly the increase In quantities o. p,ot
ucts sold. Nor is there any disposition 10
refuse orders, even at present prlces' ~
deed, the competition Of manufacturers
seeking orders alone prevents rise. MOST
Of them have all they can manage, many
working night and day, and one great steel
concern running on Sunday. but the "orhs
not yet filled with orders are seeking con-
tracts at as low prices as nave ever oeen
made, Indicating that even these are not
entirely Improbable. The settlement OF
wages on 10 per cent. advance April for
900 coal miners of the central region.
with other changes. will tend toward g.
larger demand for products OF all KINDS.
though also toward some increase In cost
Of manufacture.
Foreign Demand for Grain.
Wheat has been conspicuous. rising
cents for the week. with SIS cents for May
options. Western receipts have been ~
053 bushels in four weeks, against b.Veo.-
I'll last year, but Atlantic exports nave been
71O3,674 last year. and Pacific exports for
the week 4.015,533 bushels, against 3,44995
last year. So heavy an Outgo, with wheat
over 81 per bushel and with corn ex-
ports for the four weeks equalng the ex-
traordinary movement of last year, dis
closes the strength of foreign demand even
better than current accounts OF disappo1nt-
ing shipments from Argentine and poor
prospects in Russia.
1.-The iron manufacture is getting larger
orders for finished products which crowd
many works almost beyond their capacity.
although some others are still in the mar
ket and keeping prices down.
Failures for the week have been 342 In
the United States. against 331 last year. and
"a in Canada. against 81 last year"
As Bradstreet Sees 1t.
Bradstreet's says:
Favorable conditions in the trade situa-
ton continue to far outweigh those Of an
opposite character. Stormy weather
throughout large section Of the country
this week has checked the movement Of
merchandise in the consumption, but per-
ceptible increase in the demand for sea-
soma BILE goods Is reporteda as already re-
sulting. The last week Of the month closes
with Increased activity in many lines, a.
number Of price advances. heavily in
creased banking clearings as compared
with one year ago at nearly all cities, an
| other considerable drop in the number OF
failures reported. large exports Of cereals.
| particularly wheat, corn and -four, and per-
ceptible confidence in nearly all branches
Of trade as regards the outlook for spring
business. Another favorable feature OF
the week is the slight but distinct improve
speculative activity is awakening. Print
cloths are higher and some makes of gray
and medium weight cottons are more firm
ly held.