The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-03
FEW FAILURES IN JANUARY.
Dun's Review Points Out Rather
Promising business Conditions.


NEW YORK. Feb. 2.-Dun's review to-
morrow will say:
| Failures in January were fewer by
thirty than last year, but in liabilities
larger by "a per cent. although smaller
than in the same month OF any previous
| year. Beginning to compare with the
most remarkable year in the history OF
| business, We meet at the outset smaller
| solvent payments, smaller new orders for
the industries, and larger failures in man
rfacturing. in trading. and in other COM
| mercial lines. Manufacturing fai ures were
also slightly larger than in January, 1898.
but smaller than In any other year. while
trading failures were smaller than in any
year except the last. December disasters
in speculation had some continuing infiu-
ence, but the months aggregate void
have been reckoned quite satisfactory IL it
were not for last years unprecedented rec
ord Large failures do not explain the in
crease. The most noteworthy feature is
that the small failures, though not more
numerous than last year, were larger in
manufacturing and trading alike With
the one exception OF wooden manufacture
the chief industries have met less new
business in January than last year. though
deliveries on previous contracts have been
out the past month probably surpasses al
others, and rightly considered the fact that
new contracts for work already well sup
piled are smaller than last year, is not OF
itself discouraging. Speculation OF all
sorts has been at very low tide. but is now
increasing Stocks seem to have broken
away from the influence OF December re-
verses, and the acreage OF ices for rail-
road stocks he's advanced 81 cents per share
during the week. he average for indus-
trials $500 per sh re, and the few city
railway and gas stocks $3.50 per share.
Wheat rose | cent. but soon reacted.
Atlantic exports were only l466, 5e2
bushels. -four included. for the week.
against 4.e42,436 last year. and had more
influence than the decrease In Western
receipts, ..hich have been for the week AZ
per cent less than last year. while the de-
crease in Atlantic exports for FIVE weeks
has been 81 per cent. Pacific exports have
been 4.20e. $50 bushels in five weeks.
against 3.61o,s52 last year. The price Of
corn is fairly steady. with exports for the
week much smaller than last year. Specu-
Iation In cotton has raised the price to
IA cents, without Improvement in de-
mand. The receipts from plantations still
fall so far behind last years that low esti-
mates OF yield are aided.
Wool Is rather weaker in some grades.
but stronger in others. so that the aver
age Of quotations is steady. notwithstand-
ing some sales at concessions. Boot and
shoe manufacturers have passed all rec
ords in deliveries. but new orders have
been greatly restricted.
The iron and steel industry is so far
tied up by contracts reaching through
most of the year. that the effect OF produc-
ton exceeding consumption is felt only in
some branches. little lower prices have
hpep m Ell dor
transactions, though Bessemer does not
yield but steel billets are offered by some
at s33 per ton.
Failures for the week have been 232 in
the United States. against 224 last year.
and "a in Canada against % last year.