The Portland daily press., 1900-10-20
Trade Reviews for the
Past Week.
An Ante-ElectiOn Quietness in
Most Sections.


review tomorrow will say; The jobbing
distributive trade tends to lessen with
the advance OF the fall season, the repres-
siVe influences Of ante-eleetion feeling be-
come more clearly percsptible. and the re-
suit is a generally quiet though at the
same time confident feeling in general
trade which the stock market has appar-
emily begun to discount with the result
OF swelling current bank clearing we'll
above recent totals. AS for some time
past, the best trade advices come from
the South which remains cheerful in
spite Of lower cotton. Pacific c0ast ad-
Vices 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 but
steady. Gross railway returns continue
excellent considering the reports OF quiet
In all other lines, and net returned,
those for August are much more enoour-
aging than those OF July. The country's
foreign trade Is in a fiattering condition,
September exports being the largest ever
reported for that month, and swelled by
high priced cotton shipments the nine
months returns are far in advance OF all
previous years. Imports on the other
hand, show few gains, and the outlook is
for a record breaking export trade and a
merchandise balance for the calendar
year far in advance OF all other years
Cotton goods are very firm despite the
drop in raw material but the disposition
is to sell carefully on spring account.
Wool is a little more active and firm In
tone at eastern markets, but the demand
is still to cover orders received by manu-
facturers who are not inclined to buy
The repression notedS is, perhaps, most
prominent in the iron and steel indus
tries where values for the crude materials
remain we'll down to the lowest point
reached in more than year past, anl
even here it is to be noted that larger
volume Of steel rail orders have beer
placed this year than in former periods
Structural material makers are reported
exceptionally we'll fixed as to orders
Pig iron has been slow OF sale, but Chic
ago reports that a business of at least 100,
OOO tons is in sight.
It has been a dull and on the whole
weak market for the cereals with Ifqutda
tion a feature in wheat and corn, better
weather in the west inducing a larger
movement Of the former and simprovin
the condition Of the latter.
Dairy products have improved on coole
weather while hog products have weak
ened on packers selling and in the fac
of comparatively moderate hog receipts.
The boot and shoe trade continues
cheerful. Sugar is steady.
Bank clearings for the week are th
largest reported since last May, aggregat
ing as they do, 81, ,6g5, 1913, 1862, an increas
of seven per cent over last week and
decrease of 15.2 per cent from last year.
Business failures for the week numbe
925 against 30 last week, 2Sl IN this wee
a year ago.
Wheat including flour shipments 70
the week aggregate S,796,643 busheI
against 4, 1892, ,855 bushes last week, 4, 100,
6IS bushels in the corresponding week c
1899.
Corn exports for the week aggregat
,s86, ,223 bushels against 2, 1896. OBJ busheI
last week, 5,O58. 697 bushels In this weeI
a year ago.
August net railway earnings are en-
couraging because showing that the gain
over year ago, which had apparently
reached the vanishing point IN July
have been again resumed.
Cooler andzmore seasonabIe weathe
has helped trade distribution in Canada
Failures for the week number q
against 81 last week 20 in this week
year ago, "a in 1898. CIearlngs (tiv
days), aggregate Is, ,sO9, ,5S7, a decrease c
fourteen per cent from last week and {
one per cent from last year.
CANADIAN TRADE,
New York, October 19 -Dun's revie,
tomorrow viii say OF Canadian trade: s.
John reports lumber shipments abou
over for the season, business having e1
ceeded last years and prices firm. Muc
deal is being held over chiefly to the aC
vance in fre1ghts. Business in all liz
has been affected By the storms OF Iai
week, traffic throughout the provin,