St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-12-13
QUlETER THAN PRECEDING MONTH
But November Has Been Very Satisfactory to
the Business World.

Warm weather and a holiday have I'M
parted an appearance Of irregularity
and even dullness to some lines Of dis
tributive trade, completing month
which has been on the whole quieter
than was the preceding month, but one
which still makes satisfactory COM
parison with corresponding period a
year ago, when weather conditions par
ticularly favored distributive business
In seasonable goods. The price stua-
ton generally is apparently one of not
able strength in view of these condi-
lions. Farm products, it is true, notably
wheat and corn, have been weak and
lower. Other cereals are stronger, how
ever. Provisions have been lower, but
lard has been steady.
The situation in textiles has apparent
ly lost little in strength during the week,
though raw cotton has suffered from
bear raid in domestic and foreign mar
kets on alleged estimates Of heavy guam
titles being held back Ofsetting this,
however, have been advices that actual
sales of cotton at Liverpool this week
are the largest of the year. Cotton goods
nave been very strong, and the report of
Fall River mills for the third quarter is
Of conditions the best since 1892.
Wooden goods have been strong also,
despite unfavorable weather. Raw
wool has again advanced on heavy trad
ing, and prices at the latest London wool
sale appear to have gained to a parity
with recent advances here.
Boots and shoes retain advances previ-
ously noted and hides and leather are
alphabetically strong.
Iron and steel are even uuieter than
they were week ago, with some shad-
Ing of prices, more in the nature of re-
adjustment however, than of weakness.
The feature has been the agreement
upon iron ore prices, placing the price
for the coming season nearly double that
paid at the opening of the present sea-
son. The present week witnesses an
important departure in southern in
dustry, namely, in the maj ufacture oe
steel. Other metals have been fairly
firm, some fiuctuation in sympathy with
London prices teirg noted in tin.
A marked tendency toward higher
prices for hardware is reported at
number of markets.
Coal remains strong in price.
The industrial situation has been
rather improved by the practical agree
ment upon a sliding scale system in the
New England cotton manufacturing
districts, resulting in general advance.
Some further advances in wages of rail-
way employees and of glass workers are
to be noted, and some strikes of coal
miners have been settled.
Business failures for November show
q notable falling off from those of Oc-
tober, or from those of November in any
preceding year for five years past. Liza
bilities, however, owing to the occur
renee of few large embarrassments
not of any significance of general bust
ness conditions, are nearly double what
they were in October, but still consid-
erably below those of November year
ago, and make even more favorable
comparisons with the same month of
preceding years. Relatively the best
showing, as regards comparison with
November year ago, is made by the
southern states, while the heaviest in
crease in liabilities is found in the
middle states group.
Business failures number III for thu
week, as compared with 212 in this week
a year ago and 250 two years ago.