The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-20
THE WEEKLY TRADE REVIEWS.
Dun and Bradstreet's Speak optimis-
tlcalIy of the Current situation.

w AG w
Dun and Bradstreefs Speak optimIs-
tlcalIy of the Current situation.
NEW YORK, Jan. 1e.-Bradstreet's to-
morrow will say: General trade aud
prices. as a whole. maintain the even
balance which has been the leading fea-
ture for some time past. and in which
1t will require the advent OF distinctly
new features to affect any basic change.
General demand Is large for this season
! OF the year. but speculation is quiet to
the extreme Of dullness In some lines, and
especially in those branches OF specula-
ton which go to radically affect financial
affairs, and, therefore. the volume OF bank
|, clearings. Hence IL Is that, comparing as
we do with period last year when stock
| speculation particularly was of immense
volume. the aggregates for the country
a whole are considerably smaller. II,
however, the clearings at the metropolis.
the great centre Of speculative activity.
are excluded il is found that fair In
crease over last years enormous totals
is shown by the country at large. Clear
ings aggregates year ago, 1t will be re-
called. were of immense volume, next
largest, in fact, to those OF the spring OF
the year. when a veritable frenzy OF Sc
| curities speculation was in progress.
Close examination Of leading lines Of
industry fails to show marked unfavor-
able features. 1t is true that retail trade
in seasonable goods has been and Is be-
ing affected by phenomenally mild winter
weather, but wherever spring trade. par
ticularly in dry goods. has developed. 1t
/ has been in such volume and accompanied
| with such readiness OF acceptance OF adj
vanced prices as to point to undiminished
i . xr D frodo nrt
| as to the outlook for spring business.
The iron and steel industry. justly
regarded as trustworthy index OF general
| trade, is still actively employed on old
| orders. and new business Is limited for
| reasons unnecessary to recapitulate. IL
| is evident that the few reactions in prices
shown in such an ordinarily Gull period
as this have strengthened rather than les
sened confidence in the future. This is
| particularly true. perhaps, OF pig iron.
which is quiet. but shows few weak spots
to enquirers.
| Cereals are dull in nearly all directions,
I, and the pressure of enlarged stocks. par
| ticularly abroad has been influential this
week in bringing about a price reaction
In wheat Apparently improved British
prospects in South Africa are assigned as
the reason for the better buying OF cotton.
resulting in a fractional advance this
week. Good foreign buying at several
| Southern points is also noted.
Business failures for the week number
| 10 as compared with 20 last week, 80 in
| this week a year ago, 43 In 1928, 81 in
| 1897. and 80 in 1885,"
| NEW YORK, Jan. 19.-Dunis review to-
morrow will say: Whether the new year
| will surpass or keep pace with the old is
| the question which gives especial interest
| to every weeks returns.
"As respects profits. practically all the
| business done this month yields larger
returns to labor, to production, trading
and transporting than business OF the
same amount yielded last year. 1t Is not
much that the volume of exports and i'm
ports last year, for the first time. ex-
ceeded two thousand millions. but IL Is q
gain Of value beyond calculation that the
year completed the progress OF the United
States from a debtor to a creditor nation.
In Its last month, with prices ranging
higher than In any other month since
March. 1898. exports OF manufactured
products we're the greatest ever known In
any month After deducting chief staples
the amount was s53.56s.os7, more than
quarter larger than in 1898 Exports are
not as many, but even this week there is
reported an export contract for $4,000 tons
of steel rails taken by Chicago works.
This week one contract Of 10000 tons
| for a Western road, and two for bridges
requiring IL 600 tons, are the only large
| transactions reported In iron products,
but heavy business was secured by con-
cessions for plates at Pittsburg going ma
terially below s2.25, and for bars at Phila-
delphia below 500, the price OF the asso-
citation. Sheets are also lower at the East,
| but 81 higher at Pittsburg.
Perhaps the most important Industrial
event is the success in marketing wooden
goods for the new season at prices aver
aging 1874 per cent higher than last year.
many makes having been promptly sold
up and withdrawn while others sell 80
well as to give great encouragement.
Business in cotton goods begins to in
crease, though in staples II is still mod
crate. the goods now averaging 2e.I per
cent higher than a year ago, and with the
rise this week to ISL cents cotton is 81
per cent higher. Belief in short crop has
helped the goods market and still sustains
II. though cotton is a little lower than
IL was two months ago. Receipts from the
/ plantations continue over a third smaller
than last year, but exports have decreased
quite as much. Shipments OF shoes from
the East In execution OF old orders continue
larger than in any previous year, but new
business does not amount to a quarter OF
the current production. It is said. and in
prices binders buyers.
MANY works have few orders ahead
Leather is dull, though export trade IN
| hemlock is good, but hides again yield
slightly at Chicago, the decrease from the
| highest point averaging less than . per
cent The market for breadstuffs is not
active. nor have changes in prices OF ele-
vator wheat been Of any consequence, but
the active May option shows a sharp de-
! cline. Atlantic exports continue far below
last years. in three weeks 6,O93,SZo push
els. against 13.224,0s2 last year, and Pa
cifc exports In the same weeks were e.
2s1 .775. against 1.s53.994 last year.
'.Stocks have not been active or strong,
railroads closing 20 cents per share higher
; and industrials but % cents per snare
higher than a week ago. Failures for the
week have been 242 in the United States.
against 24s last year. and 40 in Canada,
against 80 last year.