The record-union., 1898-10-08
With the Exception Of Some Points in the
Southern States
Where Storms and the Quarantine
Against Yellow Fever nave
Checked Distribution - Com
plaints. However, Are That
There is a Narrow Margin or
Profit in Sales.

NEW YORK, Oct 7-Bradstreet's
tomorrow will say:
With the exception of some parts OF
the South, where heavy storms ana yei-
low fever with resulting quarantine
check distribution, very large puSl-
ness appears to be doing, though com
plants of a narrow margin or pront
are well-nigh unanimous. While the
bank clearingS of September point 10
a slightly smaller business done the
country over than one year ago, thlS
weeks figures point to a fair gain over
last year, and therefore over all pre-
vious records for this week of the year
The volume of distribution, as
whole, is well UP to or above that re
ported a year ago in most sections, and
therefore far in advance of recent pre-
ceding annual periods.
AS for some time past, most activity
is perceptible in the West and North
west and on the Pacific Coast, partic-
ularly at Puget Sound and Columbia
River points 1t has been a carnival
and fall celebration period at num-
ber of Western cities this week. and a
resulting large distribution, both retail
and wholesale, is reported. At lead
ing Eastern markets recently favora-
BILE reports are fully maintained, with
business in textiles. particularly cotton
and wooden goods least favorably sit
uated.
Signs are not wanting that the spread
of yellow fever in some sections of the
South. with resulting quarantines, has
sharply checked trade in the lower
Mississippi Valley, while heavy storms
on the South Atlantic Coast have oper-
ated to arrest distribution and reduce
the rice crop. The general industrial
situation is a very favorable one.
Marked activity continues to be a
feature of the iron and steel trades,
but the immense rate of production at
present in the absence of immediate
new demands, has caused a sharing of
some few grades of pig iron and steel
billets. Movements in an upward di-
rectiOn, however, are reported from the
West
The situation as to prices generally
is one Of sustained strength, wheat be-
ing prominent in this respect, while the
most important reduction is that grow
ing out of the refined sugar war To
the exceptional strength of ocean
freights is charged some of the falling
off in exports from Southern points
business failures are still down to a
minimum, numbering 164 for the week,
against 166 last week, 237 in this week
a year ago and 23S in 1894
Active demand for the actual wheat
and unprecedentedly smaller stocks to
start with have constituted q balance
for generally estimated maximum
worlds yields, and recent considerable
increase in stocks at home and abroad.
In the face. therefore, of : gain of l.
OC0,W0 bushels in American and Eu-
ropean stocks, last week, prices, in
fluenced by the small gain in world 9
stocks in September-1J,5 800 090-have
ruled firmer and higher
Bradstreet's monthly review of wheat
stocks shows a total on October 1st in
this country and Canada OF %. 32S. 600
bushels, a gain of 10.135,0 900 bushels
for the month, against y, 146 COO bush
els a year ago, while European stocks
on a like date are given at 42.200 0D
bushels, a gain of only 400 900 bush
els, against 100000 bushels in Sep
tember a year ago. A combined gain
is here indicated of only il, 100000
bushels, against 27,O00.000 last year
and 20,OG0.00O to 81 100000 bushels
gain in 1895 and 1896 Stocks in this
country and Canada east of the Rock
les on October 1st are the smallest re-
ported at that date since 1882.
Prices of leading staples as reported
to Bradstreet's. while showing rather
more irregularity, in the majority are
we'll held.
Canadian failures this week number
twenty-three, against twenty-three last
week; forty-five a year ago; thirty