Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1899-03-09
TRADE RECORDS BROKEN
Business for the Past Month Was
Far the Greatest Ever Known
in February.
WAGES SHARE THE UPWARD MOVEMENT.
Reports from All Parts OF the Coun-
try Are Very EncouraEing-Price
Generally Show Few Important
Changes-Export Trade In CereaA
Ia Recovering.

New York, March 4-Bradstreet's says:
IAN enlarged volume or spring trade, par
ticularly in dry goods due to spring
weather. special strength in the demand
and price for cotton fabrics, an immense
and urgent call at soaring prices for iron
and steel and all its products, and SUBJ
stanttal advances in wages. chiefly anect-
ing the aforementioned industries, ana
benefitting at conservative calculation
10000 operatives. are among features OF the
week going to show that the producing ele-
ments Of the country's population arc
sharing In the present favorable condt-
tons. From many cities, east and west
come reports Of an active demand from
jobbers for spring dry goods From the
cotton manufacturing industry come re-
ports Of activity. inducing manufacturers
to grant advances to their operatives.
while the list of advances in prices OF iron
and steel products, whether of crude. OF
manufactured or even Of old material, is
virtual roll call Of that industry's products.
An encouraging feature is the small NUM-
Der of strikes for higher wages reported.
partly owing to advances being already con
ceded as result of sliding scale agreements.
the only important labor troubles being re-
ported in the coal mining industry In the
southwest. Additional proof that the exc
port demand for our iron and steel manu-.
features will be checked by recent and
pending price advances is not lacking: In
the lumber trade the producer seems likely
also to reap long delayed reward as buy
ers become familiar with the fact that
available supplies. whether of hard wood.
of white or yellow pine, or of spruce ana
hemlock. are well controlled, while the out
look for building trade activity is favor
able Our export trade in cereals is recov-
ering from the check administered by re-
cent frtgid and stormy weather, but re-
ports of damage to the winter wheat crop
on the one hand and estimates of super
abundant supplies of old crop In farmers
hands have about balanced each other.
with slight advantage as regards prices
secured by the bears. Prices generally,
important changes Corn is slightly high
er. while oats are fractionally lower. The
movement of cotton at the south has
proved smaller than anticipated, and as the
current consumption is heavy, both at
homo and abroad. quotations are slightly
higher Talk Of new combinations in
many lines of trade continues active. but
signs are not wanting that promoters find
1t harder to place shares Of companies not
widely known"
From Dun's Point Of View.
r. q. Dun & Co.'s review Of trade says:
''The business for the past month was
far the greatest ever known in February.
Clearing house exchanges were about ST.
600 600, against $685., $50 S44 last year. and
54.2 larger than in 1892. In all the years Of
weekly commercial reporting there has
been no other week in which the reports
AEO1A dll QdEI6 VI Tue country nave OSSA
on the whole so good as they are this week.
Moreover, during the past week there has
been a general advance in wages, immedi-
ate or prospective. At most points the ad-
vance of ten per cent. or more was en-
tirely voluntary. It has averaged five to
ten per cent. in tin plate works, and about
ten per cent. in other cases, and as 1t affects
much over 100000 hands 1t will add great
ly to the purchasing power of the wage
earners
1.-THE return of failures in February.
while showing larger liabilities than in
January. are highly encouraging. A rath-
er unusual number of large failures in scat
tered branches Of manufacture has swelled
the aggregate. including one concern for
100000 in electrical apparatus, but in
nearly all branches the statement indicates
remarkably healthy condition in spite Of
these failures. while in trading the de-
faulted liabilities are smaller than in Jam
uary or any previous winter month for six
years.
Failures for the week have been in the
United States 1856. against 251 last year, and
q In Canada. against 90 last year."