The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-02
Rradsfreei,s Report.

New York, July I.-Bradstreets VIII say
tomorrow: In a period, as usual devoted
to stock taking. and with holiday ana
midsummer influences making more mar
row the trading. there is little in tie SIT
uation. The first half of the year closed
with a very satisfactory showing in many
lines of trade, as evidenced by the returns
of bank clearings, railroad earnings, re-
ports as to the c~onsumptive and distrlbu-
tive demands. and last, but not least, by
that infallible barometer of the mtrcan-
tile world-business failures.
H~arbingers of the future are found in
the generally favorable crop prospects,
not only of cereals. but of cotton, fruits
and most products of agriculture and a
continued heavy foreign demand for
American products.
Few important events are chrtnicled
this week in the business world. The semi
annual shutdown of many Industrial
concerns, particularly those in iron and
steel and glass and some textile ma1ufac-
turing concerns, has been ANNOUNCED to
occur I'm the first week of July. bat this
has been without effect upon the prices
of those staples. Advices from the West,
indeed, lead to the belief that this shut
down in some cases may not occur at all
this year. while in others the tine de-
voted to repairs and stock taking will be
considerably abbreviated.
The situation in iron is rather a mixed
one, most complaints coming from the
West. 1t is suggested, however. that the
fall in coast railroad rates has been cred
tied with improving the demand for iron
and steel for export and considerable or
ders have already been booked. lotably
some steel rails for Egypt and Jiexico,
while orders for $50, 900 tons are rported
refused on account of time limits Jet. Pig
iron and steel rails reflect the hssened
activity in a shading of prices. Doubts
are pxnrpSSpd as 70 thp ahilitV Offha MIC
iron manufacturers to control production
and the next two weeks will probIbly be
full of interest to the iron trade gener-
ally.
The tone of the wheat market continues
bearish Notwithstanding that the worlds
visible supply has decreased u, 500, 900
bushels in two weeks and that the proba-
bilities are that visible stocks of on wheat
on Aug. 1 will be as low, II not lower,
than last years, which was the smallest
on record for several years. A heayy fall
ing off in the condition of the Kansas
wheat crop is indicated.
Rather less steadiness in prices is OBJ
servable, most cereals, pork. lard cotton
and several makes of pig iron beng low
er for the week. while the list of advances
is exceedingly small. Steadiness has been
a feature, however. of raw wook. hides
and heavy leather. coffee, sugar and print
cloths. copper and lead. A large ,istribu-
1919 - = ~ 49, -
sions has been a feature and tho demand
for fireworks and flags this year is con-
coded to be heavier in advance )f past
years.
Cereals still move abroad in Quantities
unprecedented for the time If year.
Wheat shipments for the week aggregate
ASIA bushels against 3,799.479 bushels
last week and 2,77s.si9 bushels I'm this
week a year ago, 2,601 ,O96 bushels two
years ago. 900, 301 bushels in I95 and
1886, 900 bushels in 1894.
In spite of unfavorable weatnr there
were fewer failures this year than i'm any
previous year for four years past. BUSH
ness failures number 6.429, s Der cent.
fewer than a year ago, Is per cent. less
than two years ago and only 3 per cent.
larger than in 1893. Liabilities. too, are
smaller, a~ggregating S72, 100, 34t % per
cent. smaller than last year, 81 per cent.
smaller than two years ago, 9.5 per cent.
smaller than in 1895 and 81 per cent. below
those of 1898.
Business failures in the Dominion of
Canada for the six months of tn present
year make a decidedly good showing.
They number S13. involving So. 1858, a de-
crease of "a per cent. in numbe and in
liabilities as compared with list year.
and making a still better comparison with
earlier periods.