Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-05-05
THE BUSINESS SITUATION.

lllI GOOlNASC VI ' Nv S'h
Bradatrent's, in its review OF business
for the last week, says: The lack
OF excitemsnt, nervousness or inter
ruption 10 tie orderly conduct of
public affairs, and particularly bust
nesa operations, with which this
country passed from pence TO war
seems likely to become historical.
Little or no effect upDu general trade
distribution OF an unfavorable character
is perceptiblo in the renorts OF the past
week.
4" Perhaps tho most notable, because
| the most uniform, feature has been tho
unanimity with which tbs quotations
oi leading staples have been married
up. Those advances, too, have not
bsen confined to food products, but in
clude many widely differing articles
alike OF homo and foreign growth. Ii
is true that the greateet animation has
been displayed IN those products OF the
United States and of foreign countries
the ocean transportation OF which is.
in the minds of some PEOPLE, likely to
be much interrored with.
Following wheat in its upward
movement, corn, oats and Hour nave
| Likewise advanced, while in punk and
| ulubE animal hphup'y 'u'Hs
bacon and hams, quotations have also
been marked up.
1.-The demand for steel plates for
vessels to replare those taken by the
government is also feature of interest,
and the outlook ia for activity in tine
ship building industry for come tims
to come.
"a feature of Importance ia the i'm
mense demand and rather Inadequate
supply of freight room In vessels sail
ing from this country in tina near
future. Rates have again advanced,
and shipments from several ports are
reported crippled, not only by the ad-
vanced quotations, but by the absolute
scarcity in some cases Of neutral bot
toms to carry freight.
1.-THE crop situation generally ia Of a
most gratifying kind, but particularly
SO in that of wheat ana other grains,
with the sole exception as to locality,
OF California, which ia buying wheat
in Oregon and Washington. I'm
doubtedly, the favorable crop prospects
have been stimulating feature
throughout most sections OF the
country
Cereal exports. as already noted,
show considerable Increase this
week, wheat shipments from this
country and Canada aggregatiug 4, AGO,
99S bushels, against 3, 232, 600 bushels
last week, l, 155, 900 bushels in the cor
responding week year ago, ]. 260. GOO.
buanels in 1896, and 2,555. 900 bushels
in 1895. Corn exports are also larger.
aggregating 4,2l6,000 buahels, against
g. 1863, 900 bushels last week, 3 G57, 00C
10 the week a year ago. 2, li2. ono in
1896, 1,0l6, 600 in 1888, anu SS0, 0Ol
bushels in 1884.
"Business failures in the United
States this week number 245, a gaIr
Of q oger last weeks total, and com
, pairing with 244 in the corresponding
week Of 1897, 254 in 1896 and FOG in
1885,"
r. G. Dun s. Co. g Review gives thiI
business summary: "Hostilities have
, not aa yet changed last weeks CON
ditions. There is much postponemsnt
of orders by men VINO do not know whRt
they are waiting for, and much RS
striction of loans by banks which are
abundantly strong. All this check
now business, aud yet the volume o
transactions through clearinghouse il
larger than the same week in 1892
, with no foreign trouble. But this in
/ crease would ba much larger but fo
r speculative stagnation here.
1.-The consumption of iron ia still tn,
. greatest ever known, though man.
9 struGtural and car contracts have beef
\ deferred. The week has witnessed
q Eastern inquiries for plate at Chicag,
] and general advance Of 50 per ton
!, with refusal of bids by implemen
. makers at Chicago for bar iron becaus
/ highsr prices in the future are ex
pected, and Eastern buying Of bar
n from Chicago for chr building, with
shade lower prices at Pitt5burg 70
4 Bessemer pig because the associate
i producers build to agreed prices
I although middlenen are selling a
a luwer figures. In spite OF agraemen
q by foundrymen and forge producers th
"a price OF gray forge at Pittsburg slight
n declinss. Considerable orders for stee
3 rails for export have bean receiver
4 during the weak. With but two O
II three structural orders of consequence
the works are fully employed 70
months to come.
"trhe cotton manufacture has bee
helped by some government contract
20 anu little better outsiie demand, an
the Temporary advance IN raw cotton
: 6. A cents, though the price has sine
y declined 10 q. 81 supplies have bee
y larger in some previous years than the
10 are now, and yet are enormous and til
demand for goods 10 still hindered b
" the grout stocks in sight or reported
Wooden manufacturers are doing rattle
N better. large Government orders helr
ing some works. willis other demand
le are more encouraging. Sales OF wot
are about siSth Of last year for Apri
half of those in 1896 and third {
m Gales in 1892. though Eastern buyer
le are weak, hut country holders al
s. sticking for higher prices.
err "FailursH for the week have been &c
n in the United States. against 237 lat
lc year, and IL in Canada, agaist 40 lat
a year."
IS,