The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-09
BRADsTREEr,s TRADE REVIEW
Upward Movement Of Business
not Caused Alone by Prospects of
Peaee-Prtees Firm m Tending Up.
ward-Heavy Export of Cereals-lron
Trade ENCOURAGING.

New York. August 5.-Bradstreet's
tomorrow will say:
The stimulating influences OF the
coupled with the generally expected
beneficial effects it is hoped will fow
from the opening up OF new markets
IN the lands added TO the national do
main, seem TO increase as ms summer
"anes- That the improvement, while
as yet admittedly one large of senti-
fnent, Is not entirely SO confined. how
ever, is proven by report OF a still
further increased distribution OF sta
pie goods in the west, northwest and
southwest, where the excellent crop
situation has rendered harmless the
supposed benumbing effects OF war. So
Tar as the crop situation is concerned,
the past week furnishes not the least
notable contribution of the year in re-
ports coming from the great surplus
corr producing states OF beneficial
rains checking a deterioration which
threatened material damage TO this
most widely grown and intrinsically
valuable Cf the country'S cereals.
Another encouraging feature OF the
week has been the perceptible growth
In strength of the iron and steel stu
alton. Firmness in prices is a feature
or particular interest in view of the
enormous production Of pig iron early
IN the year, and apparently reflects the
gong into consumption Of most of this
immense production, leaving stocks
generally within comfortable limits.
Encouraging export demand for our
cereals, great steadiness in prices, larg-
est recorded midsummer bank clear
ings and fairly encouraging railroad
earnings, Notwithstanding the unwill-
lngness of farmers to accept present
cereal values, are additional encourag-
ing ~eatures of trade at the present
time.
Prices are generally firm or tending
upward in spite of the midsummer
quietness in many lines or trade. AS
a result of operations in July, twenty
three, or about one-third of all staples,
advanced in value, twenty-seven de-
clined, while forty-four remained
steady or unchanged. Advances in
many cereals. except wheat and flour,
a numbe of provisions, dairy products
and groceries, most raw textiles, eX-
cept cotton. petroleum, rubber, alcO-
hOl, opium n quinine, are features of
the months operations. Important de-
creases, aside from that in wheat are
found in some few makes of iron and
steel, some other metals and in build
ing lumber. Compared with August
one year ago, 66 out of 104 staples are
higher, 20 are lower and 9 are unchang-
ed, so hat it may be said that COM
pared with a year ago there have been
more h two advances for every de-
cline reported.
Wheat shipments for the week, -four
included as wheat. aggregate All, 312
bushels, as against 2,271, S72 bushels
last week and 3,3OS, AT bushels in this
week a yea ago, {, 747, $50 bushels in the
corresponding week of 1896, 1850, 562
bushels in 1895 and 3,417. 200 bushels in
1894. Since July list, this year, the ex-
ports Of wheat aggregate IA. 1926, 122 bush
els, against II. 655. 024 bushels last year.
Corn exports for the week aggregate
2,S56, 923 bushels. as against 2,6o1 ,S21
bushels last week, 1928, SS5 bushels in
1897, 1,257,4S3 bushels in 1896, 1,OO6, TO
bushels in 1895 and 226, 100 bushels in
1894. Since July 1st, this year, exports
Of corn aggregate 1888, 493 bushels,
against u, 461, 206 last year.
Business failures in the United States
are at a minimum, numbering 189.
Identical in number with those of last
week but compared with PA in this
week a year ago. 269 in 1896, 2O9 in 1895
and 1877 in 1894. Canadian failures
number %. as against "a last week. Al
in this week a year go, 80 in 1895, 81
in 1895 and 40 in 1894.