The age-herald., 1899-01-07
BRADSTREET'S
 REVIEW OF TRADE The Situation One of Quiet, Sustained
 Strength. PIG IRON IN LESS DEMAND Heavy Buying in December Has CauS- ed Temporary StaSnatiOn.
HEAVY ORDERS FOR RAILROADS
Export Trade Continues of Liberal Pro- portion -Steadiness in Wheat Ex-
 plained by Foreign Buying
 December Bank Clearings.

New York, January 6.-Bradstreet's to- morrow will say:
 The situation is one of quiet, sustained strength. In wholesale distrbutive trade annual inventories nave occupied attention ana distribution in this branch is therefore of only seasonable proportions. Retail trade reflects the quieting down of the eager de- mand ruling the holidays, but it is signih- cant that the maority of the reports re- ceived since January 1 in this and in the wholesale branch refer to collections as al most uniformly good Export trade, par tcularly cereals, continues well up to the maximum figures, while reports from the great industries of the country are faVor- able. The cruder forms of iron and steel have been in rather less demand this week at leading centers and others are few Tn number, heavy consumers having pretty well covered themselves for some months 10 come by their liberal buying in December. In finished products, however, and particu- larly in steel, rather more has evidently been doing, this being reflected on advances al both the east and the west in the prices of steel rai.s, steel beams, plates and shee,s.
 Heavy Railroad Orders
 Some heavy orders for railroad accounts are reported booked and the export trade continues of liberal proportions partly aid ed, no doubt, by the shading in ocean freight rates occurring during the past month.
 Aside from the aggressive strength of steel prices, quotations are little changed from a week ago. Good trade reports, both at home and abroad and small receipts, coupled with more outside speculative ln- terest have accounted for steadiness in raw cotton prices, while in manufactured goods all the old strength is maintained in print cloths and some other makes of cotton goods have been slightly advanced. Returns as to 1898 trade in most lines have been favorable, and the opening of spring uaoe is awaited with more than usual confidence, this feeling being particularly marked Tn the lines above enumerated and Tn Jumper and agricultural implements.
 Bank clearngs for the week reflect eX- ceptionally heavy annual settlements III total of $1 765, 300 900, nearly $iO0OO0OO larger thanSever before reported; 25 per cent. larger than last week; 24 per cent. larger than in this week year ago; 54 per cent. larger than in 1897; 70 per cent larger than in 1895, and 70 per cent. larger than in 1e9-
 steadiness of Wheat
  ticipated in by other cereals, finds explan- ation in continued foreign buying, the strength of the statistical position, the normal time for decreases in American stocks having arrived, with supplies still smaller than at any corresponding date for ten years past, aided by less favorable advices from Argentine, whence minimum estimates are again arriving.
 The December total of bank clearings proves a fitting conclusion to a year of un- precedented expansion in many lines, in an aggregate for seventy-seven cities, of s7, ,395, ,511 ,222, a gain of 13.7 per cent. over Novembers hitherto unapproached total of 635 per cent. over December, 1897; of 56.5 per cent. over December, 1896; of Sl.2 per cent. over the same month of 1884, and of 227 per cent. over the same period of 1892.
 Wheat including flour, shipments for the week aggregate CISCO 268 bushels, against 292, ,625 bushels last week and 34S1,576 bushels in the corresponding week of 1898.
 Corn exports for the week aggregate A. S44 2Ss bushels, against 3,659745 bushels last week and 3455, ,416 bushels in this week a year ago.