The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-10-08
BRADSTREET'S
WEEKLY REVIEW
A Large Business Appears to
be Doing.
EXCEPT IN THE SOUTH
WHERE YELLOW FEVER. QUAR-
ANTINEs AND STORMS
CHECK II.
MARGINS, THOUGH, ARE VERY SMALL
Trade Seems Better at Northwest than Else
where, Owing Perhaps to il Being
Carnival and Fall Celebration
Period in that Section


row will say:
With the exception of some parts Of
the South. where heavy storms and vel
low fever with resulting guarantees
check distribution. very large business
appears to he doing. though complaints
IL narrow margins Of profit are well
nigh unanimous. While the bank clear
ingS az September point to a slightly
smaller business done the country over
than one year ago, this weeks figures
point to a fair gain over last year and alldd
therefore over all previous records for
this week Of the year. The volume OF
distribution. as 4 whole, Is well up to
or above that reported year ago III
most sections. and therefore far IN adj
vance of recently preceding annual pc
RODS. As for some time past most ac-
tivity is perceptible in the West and
Northwest on the Pacific coast, particu-
larly at Puget Sound and Columbia River
points. 1t has been Il carnival and fall
celebration period at a number Of West
ern cities this week and a resulting large
distribution, both retail and wholesale,
is reported At leading Eastern markets
recently favorable reports are fully
maintained. with business IN textiles,
particularly cotton and wooden goods,
least fayorably situated. Signs are not
wanting that the spread of yellow fever
in some sections of the South, with re-
sulting quarantines, has rapidly checked
trade iii the lower Mississippi Valley,
while heavy storms on the South Allan
tic coast have operated to arrest distri-
button and reduce the rice crop. The
general industrial situation is a favor
able one. Marked activity continues to
be a feature of the iron and steel trades,
but the immense rate Of production at
Pittsburg, in the absence of new imme-
date demands has caused shading 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 gem
orally is one of sustained strength, wheat
being prominent in this respect, while
the most important reduction is that
growing 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 162 for the week
against 1866 last week 23T in this
week a YEAR, ago and POI in 1886, 2I4
in 1895 and 236 in 1894.
Active demand for the actual wheat
and unprecedented small stocks to start
with have constituted balance for gen
orally estimated maximum worlds yields
and recent considerable increase in stocks
at home and abroad In the face. there
80 az -, ~ I41s apfs IN
American and European stocks last
week, prices. influenced by the small net
gain in worlds stocks in September
15.500.000 bushels-have ruled firmer
and higher. Bradstreet's monthly re-
port of wheat stocks shows total ON
October 1sf in this country and Canada
of 23,52S.000 bushels, gain of 10.13J,-
600 bushels for the month against H.
100000 bushels a year ago, while Euro
pean stocks on Il like date are given ut
A.. 400, 600 bushels, Il gain Of only 5,40O-
900 bushels, against 14200.000 bushels
gain in September year ago. A COM
bined gain is here indicated Of only
15,500000 bushels against 2T,000000
last year and 20,000,000 to 81 900, 600
gain in 1895 and 1896. Stocks in this
country and Canada east of the Rockies
on October LIST are the smallest re-
ported at the date since 1882. Estimates
Of the worlds yield now range in the
neighborhoed Of 2,600,000,000 bushels,
$50 200, GOO bushels heavier than last
year and 100000 bushels larger than
the record Of 1894. while American crop
estimates vary between 6J0,000.000 and
700 100000 bushels with conservative
views favoring a total midway Of these
two estimates
Prices of leading staples, rs reported
to Bradstreet's, while showing rather
more irregularity are i'll the main well
held
Wheat including flour. shipments for
the week aggregate 5.397 pa bushels as
against J.306S79 bushels last week. A.
S35.641 bushels in the corresponding
week of 1897: 4.050,772 bushels in 1896.
2,244.3VS bushels in 1895, and 3.317 043
bushels in 1894 Since July LIST this
year the exports of wheat aggregate 81 :
S9S,121 bushels, against GO, 9S0,41 bush
els last year.
Corn exports for the week aggregated
3.364,T10 bushels against 2530.076 bush
els last week. 2109510 bushels in this
week last year, 2.722,090 bushels in
1896; 1.367, 0f0 bushels in 1895, and 1884,
124 bushels in 1894 Since July first this
year corn exports aggregate 1929. 951
bushels against 43.61S.102 bushels dur
ing the corresponding period year
ago.
Warmer weather early in the week
checked buying Of heavy goods at Cana,
dian cities, but better conditions later
have favorably affected distributiye
trade. Toronto reports heavy North
western buying, with farmers In thai
section still depositing wheat in elevators
Deliveries are more liberal, although
prices are still above an export basi,
in Ontario. American lumbermen ars
reported hiring large numbers of mei
for work in Canada this winter.
Canadian failures this week number q
against % last week. ~ in this weel
year ago, 81 in 1896, "a in 1895 ant
81 ia 1894.