The San Francisco call., 1899-05-05
BRADsTREETs on TRADE CONDITIONS.

NEW YORK May 4.-Bradstreet's of May 6
viii say: Widespread business activity and
heavy financial transactions resulting from or
consequent upon the large number of industrial
combinations planned or executed during the
month of April, seem to have been largely
responsible for the heavy bank clearings re-
ported for that month, because stock specula-
tiOn qnieter than in March or the pre-
ceding months. The April Clearings in fact
deserve special notice, because though they
smaller by per cent than the aggregate
for March. this was owing chiefly to the smaller
number Of business days in that month. because
the average daily clearings were heavier than
the like average for the month of March. In
percentage gain, too. the increase shown over
April a year ago was the heaviest noted this
year, and the result is further enlargement
of the gain reported for the calendar year over
recent preceding periods.
The aggregate bank clearings for the month
just closed were &,266 469, ,069, gain of 655 per
cent over April l a year ago, an increase of lO2
per ceht over the month Of April. 1897, gain
of 122 per cent over the corresponding month
in 1894 and an increase of 60 per cent over the
like period OF 1892. The heavy gain for April
compares with an increase of SAC per cent dur
ing the month of March, Of 25.7 per cent in
February and of Alb per cent in January over
corresponding periods of last syear.
Relatively the best showing for April, as in
deed for many preceding months. was that
made by the Middle States group OF cities. In
this section the increase reported over April
a year ago was in excess Of SO per cent the
next heaviest gain being that reported by the
New England cities 4S per cent.
Other considerable gains are those of % per
cent in the Southern cities, 1871 in the Western
group, and n.3 in the Northwestern. As for
some time past, the gains in the Southwest
and the far Western groups have been com
paratively moderate. but even here the increases
have ranged from to per cent.
a rather better showing is naturally made
by the individual cities than reported in
March. The gain at New York is heavier than
II was in that month. "a per cent in April.
against 72 per cent in March. and the increase
in the rest of the country in April % :
per cent, against q per cent in March. In the
Southern group the large gain by Baltimore,
II per cent, is largely accountable for the in
crease in that group as whole, although fewer
Southern cities show decreases than in March.
In the west the heavy decrease reported by
Omaha. 29 per cent, due TO the withdrawal OF
some banks clearings from current totals, is
a notable feature. Boston's clearngs in April
We're very heavy, and the gain over year ago,
50 per cent. is notable one The gain shown
by Philadelphia equals this, however Chi
cago shows gain Of AS per cent over year
ago. Activity in the iron trade is reflected by
the gain OF 1S per cent at PittsburS. st. Louis
shows a gain Of lS per cent as does san Fran
cisco.
For the four months period of the calendar
year the clearings aggregate $32, 4O5. 437 S65, a
gain of asa per cent over 1885, OF 81 per cent
over 1897 Of 120 per cent over 1894, and of 81
per cent over 1892
/. In the fourth month compilation as in that
Of April the Middle States group. containing
the metropolis, shows the heaviest increase IS
per cent. The gain in New England is over
% per cent, while the increases in the North
west and South exceed 20 per cent in each
case. The gain in the Far West for the four
months closely appDroximates that shown for
April, 6.4 per cent, while the gain in the South
west is also moderate one, 50 per cent.
Canadian bank clearings, while smaller than
those of March, note heavier proportional
gain in April than for number of months
past. The clearings at six Canadian cities foI
the month aggregate $11S, 356, 564, an increase
of 19 per cent, compared with a gain of only
per cent in March or less than 8 per cent in
while for the four months the clearings aggre-
gate S4Sl, 364'I95 an increase OF 10 per cent