Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-10-25
Tho business situation.

says. AS bHB lODDiuS uibtttDubNo
trade tends to lessen with the advance
of the iall season, the repressive in
fuences of ante election feeling be-
comes more clearly rerceptible, and
the result is generally quiet though
at the same time confident feeling IN
general trade, which the stock market
has apparently begun to discount with
the result of swelling current bank
clearings well above recent totals. AS
for some time past, the best trade adj
vices come from the South, which re-
mains cheerful in spite Of lower cotton.
Pacific coast adyices are that export
trade is very large, as the result OF
army needs and Asiatic requirements.
Northwestern trade is on the whole
quiet, and the disposition to charge
the election with this is manifest.
Eastern Wholesale trade Is quiet, hut
steady. Gross railway returns continue
excellent considering the reports of
quiet in all other lines. and net re-
turns, those for August, are much
more encouraging THAI those of July.
The oountry's foreign trade is in a
tlattering condition, September ex
potts Eeing the largest ever reported
for that month, and, swelled by high
priced cotton shipments, the nine
months returns are lar in advance of
all previous years. Importe, on the
other hand, show few gains, and the
outlook is for record breaking export
trade and a merchandise balance for
the calendar year far in advance Of all
other years. Prices of farm prod2ots
have tended downward this week. The
most notable dcop has ieer in cotton
y cent for the week and cent nom
the highest point reached, due TO the
good picking weather and absence OF
frost encouraging maximum estimates
of yield, but also because of the heavy
weight of receipts brought out by the
high price OF two weeks ago. Advices
are that farmers are slower to accept
current quotations, and falling off In
the movement is predicted. Cotton
goods are very firm despite the drop in
raw material but the disposition is to
sell carefully on spring account. Wool
is little more active and firm in tone
at Eastern markets but the demand is
still to cover orders received by manu-
factureIs, who are not inclined to buy
beyond this. The repression noted.
perhaps, is most prominent in the iron
and steel industries, whore values for
the cruder materials remain we'll down
to the lowest point reached in more
than year past, and even here il is
to be Noted that larger volume of
steel rail orders have been placed this
year than in former periods. -
K. g. Dun 4 90. IS Review says:
"a settlement of the coal strike salts
factory to all interests having been
effected. business breathes more freely
in the East, and distribution of mer.
chandise is increasing slowly again,
though the election excitement Keeps
new buying in many lines down to
wants for immediate consumption. In
the West there is not the. same hest.
tation, and there. as well as in the
South, the marketing of the crops IS
responsible for feeling of much con-
hdenoe in the movement of business,
II the nation acts conservatively at the
polls. Prices of commodities are
weaker, and the caution, 30 gratifying
10 Presidential year, keeps specu-
lation at minimum. Payments
through the clearinghouse indicated
that, outside of New York, BUSINESS is
rather closely approximating last year,
the leading cities showing q loss Of
only 81 per cent while there is a
gain of 1913 per cent over 1898 for the
week. At New York the decrease from
last year is 1875 per cent. but this
years returns are 30. per cent over
1888. Railroad gross earnings for lines
reporting for October show gain Of
90 per cent over 1899, and ID. per
cent over 1898, for the same period,
Though the shortage of the spring
wheat crop is leading to considerable
losses on Granger lines which are NOT
made up by movement Of general mer-
ohandise. Such roads reporting for
october show 10 per cent decrease
from 1888 and 5 per cent from 1898.
Cotton further declined, making the
loss about $6 a bale in two weeks,
Planters are rushing work, and picking
is expected to progress rapidly enough
to save most of the crop from early
frost. High prices make it possible 10
pay good wages to pickers, and the
movement at receiving points increases
largely. Domestic spinneTs are not
Iiperai buyers, but exports are only
slightly smaller than yenr ago.
Forelgn buying increased with the
recent sharp decline. Liabilities of
failures 10 two weeks of October we're
u, 7O9 32S, of which 81, 1888, 666 we're
IN Manufacturing and 81, 1877, 033 in
trading, One large failure accounts
Tor more than third Of the liabilities
in the second week of October. and
makes the total in trading concerns
unusually heavy for the month Tins
far For the same time in 1893 habit.
ties were 81, 1862, AGA, and 10 1898
81, 594, 1874. Failures for the week we're
FOB in the United States, as apajnst
up last year, and 26 in Canada, against
70 last year. "
Three Years for wasbIngton