The San Francisco call., 1898-03-07
MORE REcoRD-BREAKING.

FRFOUENT reference has been made of late to
 the continued breaking of all previous business records but the latest commercial advices from all over the country indicate that we are about to eclipse the recent prosperity III the near 1uure Almost all signs point to a heavier trade than we have done yet. The gain in the bank clearlngs, which has been increasing week after week, ran up to 68o per cent last week, and only one city o any importance-Toledo-sho loss The increase ln New York was enormous, being 7I per cent and this in the face of lower and quieter stock market count of the reported purchase of warshlps by Spal Had this unfavorabe factor not been developed the gain would have been larger The increase, then, IS plainly due to the heavier movement Of merchan- disc which is far better than activity speculative shares as 1t shows more abundant purchasing the part of the country at large.
 This view of the is substantlated by reports from the different sections of the country. In the Central West all kinds of goods are more active than ever before known at this time of the year. dry goods groceries boots and shoes, hardware, lumber and farming tools being especially mentioned. The South reports continued strength in cotton and increased export movement in corn The East reports higher prices and an active trade in ron provisions and eral of the minor metals. The wooen trade alone shows falling off, and this IS not particularly marked The usual decrease in failures is shown, those last week being 232 against 262 for the same week in 1897. A growing demand for manufactured products is not the least indication Of the steady in crease in trade.
 It may safely be said that the United States is enjoying about the best commercial times in its his tory Talk of hard times has wholly ceased Never has the movement of merchandise been so heavy, never have the prospects been brighter. The pur chasing power of the country has expanded enor mousy during the past year. Both city and +1,o r. ;c ton who is doing the best, the farmer the mer- chant Ordinarily it is not difficult to tell We are feeding the world and the world IS passing its gold into our coffers in steady stream. War talk has effect business crop prospects good al most everywhere and the whole country has appar entity been turned into commercial beehive. Under the Republican administration we are making up what we lost under years of Democratic free trade, and it be hoped that the lesson contained in the present prosperity will not be lost the American people when they are again called upon to choose between he two.
 The local situation continues encouraging The rains have been followed by the usual north winds, and as the weather has been warm the grow Ing crops have made marked headway except in one pr two interior districts where they still need copious rains to pull them through. The northern part of the State and the coast counties never looked better than they do to-day. The ong-continued cold weather in February kept back the fruit buds thus giving them more immunity from the usual spring frosts, and the orchardists are already looking forward 10 a good crop of fruit Merchants report active de- mand for goods for all points dependent on San Francisco, and in some lines, notably provisions Trade is phenomenally brisk.
 Prices for California products seem pretty well es- tablished, for fluctuations few Wheat .tli hangs about SI 421z, where it has been long but barley is rising slowly under the lack of rain in some of the important districts. The grain markets have been dull for a fortnight, as the tax assessment will be made out the basis of to-days holdings and as no- body wants to own any property on the first Monday in March than necessary, buying has ac- cordingy been slack of late It is expected however that trade will pick up after this important day is passed.