The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1900-01-11
TRADE REVIEW.
The Situation as Viewed by Two
Leading Commercial
Agencies.

New York, Jan. 6-Bradstreets says:
1.-THE business world has marked time"
this week pending the results of annual
stock-takings and the passing away of the
holiday influences which usually make for
quietness at this period. Aside from the
Strengthening of values of a number OF
staples, such as the cereals, provisions
and cotton, which are speculatively dealt
in, there has been no decided movement
forward, but, on the other hand, the
strength of all other staple values point to
there having been no backward steps
taken. Perhaps the most notable move
ment among leading staples is that deVel-
oped in hogs and hog products, better
realization apparently being had of the
features making for strength in those
products, notably among which being the
reduction in the supply of hogs, which,
like the similar falling off in the number
of cattle, has gone on for number of years
past. That the advance in hog prod
ucts is beginning to attract more attention
seems evident from the extent to which
this advance has had sympathetic refec-
ton in the prices of wheat and other
cereals, which really trace some of the
strength which has been shown this week
to that source. While stocks of wheat have
fallen off in Europe and shipments
thereto in December were the lightest re-
corded for many years past, still stocks
have increased in this country to nearly
as great an extent. In iron and steel quiet
strength has, as for many weeks past,
been the notable feature. A rather more
aggressive feeling is noted at Chicago
where wire and nails have been consider
ably advanced, and bar steel, angles and
channels have also moved upward. With
the country's production sold ahead as
heavily as it is there is naturally little or
no immediate new business Offering"
X. G. Dun & Co, in their weekly review
of trade, say: Failures in 1899 were 1893
in number, with liabilities of $123, 49,, 679.
The last days of the year added a few to
the number and some millions to the known
liabilities of firms and banks which
failed close to the end, so that commercial
defaults reached SOC, 1873, $50, of which $780,
792,l64 were in manufacturing, III in
trading, and 11,162,94 in brokerage, pro-
noting and other commercial liabilities.
Most people in business have been so
occupied with the accounts and the settle
mentS of the past year that little new busi-
ness has yet been done. No new tendency
in manufacture or in trading appears, and
less change than was anticipated in money
markets. There is nothing unsound in
the business of the great industries,
but an extensive revision of prices may dis
appoint expectations.
Wheat still moves very sluggishiy, with
small change in prices. II six months of
the crop year ABOUT S9YO0,VOO bushels, flour
included, have been exported, against 12S,
100000 last year. Atlantic exports have now
fallen to only 1890 1926 bushels for the week,
against 5,214,4 20 last year, and Pacific ex-
ports were 531, 225 against Ga, S33 last year.
The price is practically unchanged, as also
for corn, of which 3,923,195 bushels have
been exported for the week, against 1872
4l2 last year
Failures for the week have been 273 In
the United States, against 24S last year, and
20 in Canada, against "a last year"