The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-22
pUN,s REvIEw Ga Trade.
a Better Distribution of staple Lines
of Merchandise.


NEW YaSK1 Dec. 22.-Dun's review Of
today says
Better weather conditions on the At
Iantic seaboard and pronounced activity
in distribution Of ali Staple lines CT ner-
chandise at Southern cities have impart-
ed slightly more aggressive tone to gen
eraI business But for the hesitation
always seen in the larger cities in the
holiday season, the gain would have been
quite pronounced, but as It was. New
York bank clearings lost only I per cent,
compared with the same week of 1899,
while they show a gain Of II 20 per cent
over 1888. Outside OF New York the gain
in clearings for the steek reached Is per
cent compared with 1893. gith I7.2 per
cent gain over 1895
Distinctive holiday business, which ST
this period of the season means retaiI
distribution. has shown further improve
ment- and no complaint Is heard from any
quarter, while the jeweiry trade is mach
more active than for several gears past
a reflection Of the increasing confidence
in business since election Is found in the.
larger calls upon the banks at most of
the leading cities for funds 90 finance new
enterprises all over the country, but par
ticuiarly in the South Railroad earnings
for the first half OF December were Z 6
per cent larger than Iast year. and 1s.5
per cent over 1888.
Unchanged conditions in the leading
manufacturing indus tries during the last
week before the holidays mean much. At
this time IN ordinary years furnaces close
down IN large numbers. and dallness IS
general at mills and shops where iron
and steel arc handled. Instead of reduc-
tion Of working force or concessions in
price this year, however, reports from
the principal cities indicate the existence
of contracts that VIII take months TO iii.
and new sales are made at the former
level despite much taIk5 OF chea per ore.
next year.
Instead of holiday quiet in~the wool
market. the last weeks figures OF sales at
the three chief Eastern markets amount
TO 7,23S, Geo pounds against {, 1S5. 500 in the
preceding week, and 5,267. 344 two weeks
ago. while year ago the aggregate had
fallen to 1875, $50 pounds from an average
OF over eleven million pounds IN the two
previous weeks
Cotton is firmly held despite arrivals
st Southern ports far IN excess of last
year. and little encouragement received
from spinneTs. Crop indications point TO
a yield about equal 10 Mr. ElIison-s esti-
mate Of requirements. Wheat is quiet.
Germ advanced again to about cents
above last years level without important
news.
The ability OF the tanks TO contract
their leans with little Inconvenience 10
regular clients has surprised Wall Street
which finds much money offered by fnstf-
tuticns in other cities. This week the
situation has improved somewhat through
Government payments OF interest due
January 1 and greater pension dfsburse-
ments, while several large corporations
have completed their annual settlements
There is confidence in abundance of
money for all legitimate purposes early
next year.
Record breaking activity in stocks
continues. but with d slight change in
the character of dealings, in that they are
more by professional operators and for
account of heavy financial interests which
have important deals in progress among
the railroads. Railroad stocks made new
records, but industrials we're slow, pend
ing fulhllment of dividend promises.
Failures for the week were Z93 in the
United States. against go last year. and
Is in Canada, against 20 last year