The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-06
OF CLEARINGS
BANKS SHOW SOME sTUPENDOUs
GAINS OVER PREVIOUS YEARS.
Figures for the Month Beat Those of
Any Former September-GrOups
of Cities Compared.

NEW YORK, Oct. 5.-Bradstreet's will
say next Saturday: September bank clear
ings returns confirm early advices of the
maintenance of the country's general trade
and productive industry in exceedingly
large volume. When ii is recalled that ow-
ing to holiday observances at leading cities.
the number Of the business days in Septem-
Der was the smallest Of any month. ex-
cept February, the facts that the aggre-
gate clearings at seventy-six cities exceeded
seven billion dollars, were larger than those
of August, and nearly as heavy as those
of July are evidence, in absence of any
particular activity in stock or other spec
ulation, of the immense volume of business
which was done. AS illustrative of the great
advance In business in this over preceding
years the nine months clearings returns
are no less significant. The total clearings
for nine months this year aggregate a sum
greater than the entire 1898 total. though
there are three months as yet to elapse be-
fore the year is complete. In this connec-
ton the annua report Of Manager Sherer.
of the New York Clearing House. shows
that the aggregate bank clearings in the
year ended with September were the heav-
lest ever known, exceeding by nearly So
900, 100000 the record, and this, too, in the
face of the fact that now less than ever
before do the New York city banks clear
ings represent speculative transactions, and,
on the contrary, more accurately represent
legitimate business transactions than at any
preceding period.
The aggregate clearings at seventy-six
cities for the month of September were
s7.0l3, SSS, 22, a gain of 2 per cent. over
August. OF 2.6 per cent. over September a
year ago. and of q per cent. over 1897. while
they are slightly more than double those
Of September, 1894, and nearly AZ per cent.
in excess of those of September, 1892. As
in the country's business is of a particularly
even and general character, it is further to
be noted that the gain in clearings at cities
outside of New York is almost identical
with the gain at all cities.
Gains by groups Of cities for September
are more pronounced than were those for
August, owing mainly, however, to Septem-
Der last year having shown a drop from
the total In August, whereas this year a
contrary movement occurred. The heaviest
gain by any group Is that made by the far
Western cities. 40 per cent, followed by
the New England and Middle States cities,
with gains OF. respectively, 30S and E.5 per
Western, Southern and Northwestern cities
by gains Of, respectively, 25.7, &.5 and "a
per cent. The smallest gain of any group,
10 per cent, Is reported by the Southwest
ern cities. Here again the evenness of the
trade development the country over is illus
trated by the fact that five groups of cities
show gains within the comparatively mar
row range of "a to 81 per cent.
For nine months, as already remarked,
the clearings are very large, exceeding. in
fact, the aggregate for the entire year 1898,
which Is the heaviest there is any record
Of. As compared with the nine months re-
turns Of 1898 this years returns show a
gain of Al per cent, are Y per cent. larger
than those of 1897, are IL per cent. heavier
than in 1894 and 53.6 per cent. heavier than
in 1892.