The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1898-01-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Special Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, DC Jan PA 1888.

| WASHINGTON, DC Jan "a 1898
The reports from all over the coun.
try indicate in the commercial and
mercantile lines confidence in all
branches of industry and trade.
That prices can move upward, not
with-standing the claims last year OF
the silver men that permanently in
| creased prices could not come under
the present standard of money, has
been thoroughly demonstrated.
Slight reactions, of course, occur, and
are looked for: the trend of the mar
ket is steadily for Improvement. The
activity in the stock market at tie
opening of the year was most marked
and strengthens the opinion that
money now idle will soon find it's
way into the channels of trade and
ENTERPRISE. The failures for 1897, in
spite of the general depression Ind
stagnatiOn with which the year
opened, show the smallest aggregate
of liabilities of any year since 1892.
The figures by different branches of
business show that in fifteen out OF
twenty-cight classes the failures were
lower than in any previous year OF
which there is a record.
Pledged to definite economic pol
icy and the continuance of the present
one-hundred-cent standard with the
incoming of the Mckinley admins
tration there was at once very
marked decline in banking aud manu-
featuring failures. The number has
been growing smaller and smaller as
compared with the corresponding
periods of last year, and the first week
of the new year finds all branches of
business and industry standing up
on basis of permanence which stim-
ulates all other and Independent in
dustries to activity. Bank clearing
last week, largely swollen by the
annual settlement, reached $1,4I3,OOO-
900, one of the heaviest figures iu the
history of the country, being all in
crease of eighteen per cent. over the
week previous and Of twenty-four
per cent. over the corresponding week
of 1897. With a weekly increase in
the bank clearings all over the coun-
try and constantly increasing factory
pay rolls, the trade outlook at the
beginning of a year was never more
promising. Especial activity is seen
in the iron trade and in the ffint-glass
factories, the latter finding difficulty
in keeping up with orders.
No trouble has been experienced
III the payment of the enormous sum
of $54, 100000 by the Union Pacif-
fic syndicate to the Government. This
was done without its effect being in
the least felt by the money market,
Notwithstanding it is a transaction
which eclipses anything of the kind
ever before known in this country.
All trouble and stringency was avoid
ed th rough the skill of secretary
Gage, whose practical knowledge of
bauks and banking guided his action.
Farm prices keep up and our ex-
port trade is enormous. The United
States furnished in 1897 more than
one-half of the wheat required by
European importing countries. Our
exports of American wheat and flour
aggregated 1s2,OOO,OOO bushels out OF
the worlds shipment of 32O,OOO,OOO
bushels of that product.
The increase demand abroad for
corn has been one Of the most salts
factory commercial features of 1897.
During the month of December nearly
twice as much corn went to Europe as
in the corresponding month of 1886.
The people Of Europe are slowly lear
ming that corn is good for man as well
as beast. The total exports Of corn
last year amounted to 1s6,OOO,OOO
bushels, or nearly 70,O00,000 bushels
more than in any previous year. In
the six years preceding 1897 the av-
erage annual expectations of corn was
only 66,OOO.OO0 bushels. 1t is clear,
therefore, that the various efforts
which have been made to bring this
king of America cereals into favor
with foreigners are beginning to bear
fruit. There is no country in the
world that can in anywise compete
with the United States in growing
corn, and if we can establish large
and increasing market abroad for the
product, it will bring our farmers
untold wealth. What is most needed
to insure a general demand tor corn
abroad is knowledge Of preparing
it for the table. OF the large amount
of corn meal sent to Ireland during
the famine many years ago, much was
wasted as the nOor neODle cOuld add