Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-17
By Business Struggling to Get
Back to Normal State
LESSON In THE RETURNS.
Dull Summer Months Are Testing the
Stability of All Commercial Institu-
tons Condition of Iron and steel
Markets.

ANOW 1Olh July IL J1S S5ISdL
increase in failures to $1OO,570,134 in
the first half of 1900, against $49, 1884,
661 last year, and especially to $43,-
1913, 079 in the second quarter, against
$21, 695,635 last year, gave no occasion
for diligent search, failure returns
will be worth nothing" according to
Dun & Co.'s Weekly Review of Trade.
issued today. Continuing, the report
says:
But today it is shown that thirty
banking failures for $25, 1922, 6S2,
against thirty-one last year for ST.
601,728, accounted for much of the diff
ference; that 265 brokerage and real
estate failures for $22,122,346, against
145 last year for only S2,S2s,215, ac-
counted for another part, and that in
building and lumber working and
trade other large failures, distinctly
connected with those in real estate,
explain much more of the difference
between manufacturing and trading
failures last year and this. In these
and much less important changes in
few other lines are seen substanti-
ally all, the commercial disasters as
yet resulting from an amazing rise in
prices last year, followed by weary
but largely successful efforts during
the past few months to get back to a
normal state of business. When this
is seen and the remarkable steadiness
in number and size of the great ma
jority of failures not for exceptional
amounts, there appears ground for es-
pecial satisfaction that business has
been on the whole so soundly con-
Quoted under conditions Of unusual
danger.
Decrease In Pig Iron.
The Iron Age makes the output of
pigs 2S3,413 tons weekly July /, but
the decrease of 10000 tons has by
this time been exceeded, other fur.
naces having stopped this month, and
repairs of works and of wage scales
may yet occupy some weeks. The
increase of 66,958 tons in stocks un-
sold implies decrease in manufacture
more than double the decrease in out
put, and works Of five of the great
corporations are waiting for decline
in wages just when the workers have
looked for Increase.
Weekly Bank Statement.
New York. July 14.-The weekly
bank statement follows: Surplus re
serve increased, S4,370,925; loans de.
creased, s1654,900; deposits increas.
ed, $1,640,30O. The banks now hold
$19,960,125 in excess of the legal re.
quirements.
The total number of hogs received
at the packing house of John Morrell
& Co. for the week ending yesterday,
was 11,200 against 1853 for the pre-.
ceding week. The offerings af hogs
in general have been reduced. West.
ern packing for the week 355, 900 com.
pared with 415, 900 the preceding week
and $4,000 two weeks ago. For cor.
responding time last year the number
was $4,000, and two years ago &c..
600. From March 1 the total is s..
100000, against 1896, 900 year ago
an increase Of 215,0O0 The quality
continues very good in most instanc
es. Prices have been advanced, but
close with some reaction, 5@1Oc per
100 pounds higher than a week ago
and $1.10 higher than a year ago.
Number of Hogs Packed.
Special reports to the Cincinnati
Price Current show the number oil