Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1900-04-20
Review of Trade.


view Of trade for the past week says:
Besides the SS1 commercial failures
for 1891 .04s, which are reported, there
were in February six banking failures
for $620,121, and receivers were APP
pointed for the United States Flour
Milling Company with $25,000,000 of
stock and $15,000,00 of bonds author
lied at its organization last April, and
for the Third Avenue Railway Com
eral millions had been placed upon the
property. Unless separated from such
events commercial failures could not
be compared with benefit. In most of
the branches the comparison with pre-
vious years is encouraging and analy-
sis brings out in strong light the re-
markably low average of liabilities in
the smaller failures which constitute
the great majority, indicating sound
business conditions and unusually sat
isafctory collections.
The rise of cotton to 9 IL cents, the
highest point since January, 1893, has
done much to stimulate business, draw
ing from southern plantations and
country towns more than double the
quantity marketed last year, distrib-
uting millions to producers, whose pur-
chases of supplies are thus increased,
and swelling beyond all expectation the
purchases for export.
Henvy selling of cotton by people
who had none, but felt certain that $
cents would mark the limit Of the rise,
had placed them quite at the mercy OF
holders. But the markets both for
goods and for cotton have been affected
all over the world and the country will
reap some benefit in larger excess of
merchandise exports over imports. The
market for goods has been pushed to
greater activity though they have risen
only per cent since the year began,
while material has risen over 20 per
cent.
Except across the ocean, where
events in South Africa caused nearly
all business to be forgotten, changes in
the stock market rank next in financial
interest to the rise of cotton. 1t was a
revelation of the appreciation in which
American railway stocks are held to
see them strongly supported, with the
Third Avenue falling to about so, and
Flour Milling dismissed to the hands
OF receivers.
A small rise in wheat, though the
price Is quite low, sufficed to call from
the farms 4,105,661 bushels, against g.
1885, last year, so as to indicate that
supplies are not nearly exhausted. Ex-
ports from Atlantic ports were small
of the past week (fiour included), only
1,306,386 bushels, against 4,096,984 last
year, and in four weeks from both
coasts exports have been 1883, 260
bushels, against 14,S23,373.
| Corn rose SAC during the past week,
i while wheat declined 1 lac.
The iron and steel industry continues
the greatest weekly output ever known,
| even while men speak of 1t as waiting
for more definite assurances about the
future. Prices OF pig yielded little
Billets have been sold at $33 at Pitts
burg. For most finished products prices
are stronger than week ago, bars and
sheets being strengthened by large bus
mess, while only plates appear weaker
$21 being quoted for sizes not the wild
est.
Coke is scarce and higher in spite
of the largest output ever known, and
the wages of hands have been raised
IL IL per cent to the highest ever paid
The decline in hides at Chicago con
tinues, being over per cent the past
week, and 8 per cent from the highest
point in December. Leather has de
clined only per cent from the highest
point and part of it only in exception
ally large transactions, presumably
meant to be private. Boots and shoes
have yielded little and many dealers
ended their eastern trip without buy
ing, and intend to wait until April, az
they did last year, when they paid rath
er less than the price asked in Febru
airy.
Failures for the past week have beer
222 in the United States, against 1871
last year, and % in Canada, against A.
last year.