The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-02
BETTER THINGS.
Outlook for Business During
Next Six Months.
Indicates an improvement Over
First Half of Year.
RAILWAY EARNINGS.
Already Have Begun to Show a.
Marked Increase.
Agricultural PrODectS Are in
RAILWAY EARNINGS.
Agricultural PROJECTS Are in
the Main Good.

New York, July ar. G. Dun &
Co.'s Weekly Review of Trade says:
Although the new fiscal year opens
with an extended holiday, there is
much encouragement in the evidences
of returning confidence and statistics
| for the last six months indicate that
there is no little reason for anticipat-
| ing better things in the last half of
the year. Half yearly returns of in
solvencies show that liabilities have
steadily decreased. Railway earnings,
that in earlier months showed losses
of per cent or more in comparison
with last year, exhibit an increase of
2.6 per cent for June Reports from
leading branches of trade for the last
week testify to a quiet condition, but
scarcely more so than is customary at
this time of the year, while inquiries
in several manufacturing lines prom
Use a better distribution in the near
future. Prospects are still favorable
for large returns on the farms, de-
spite some loss from storms during
the last week. Confidence grows in
the iron and steel industry, although
as yet there is little support in the
shape of increased orders.
sole leather is still quiet with
weak tone, although quotations are
nominally steady, while there is a bet
ter demand for upper but the betting
butt situation has not improved. Hides
are fairly firm, because of smaller
stocks than were held year ago, and
decreasing receipts of cattle, but for
elgn dry hides are weaker.
Failures this week in the United
States are 249 against 227 last week.
257 the preceding week and 215 the
corresponding week last year Fail
ures in Canada number IL against 3
last week, 16 the preceding week and
Z last year"
Bradstreet's says:
Midsummer quiet rules general
trade and industry. but good crop
prospects make for hope of a much
more satisfactory half year than has
just closed. As yet the improvement
is still largely a matter of tone and of
better feeling and is apparently con-
tent to move slowly until pending
crop prospects become certaintieS.
Bank clearings for six months will |
fall at least IA per cent behind a year
ago, most of the decline being at New |
York, because outside of that city the |
decrease will not much exceed 4 per |
cent.
Railway earnings in June took a |
turn for the better and gross receipts |
VIII probably show a gain of 3 per
cent for the month, though decreas- |
ing per cent. for six months The !
fiscal year as a whole, owing to gains /
asst year. will show an increase of 6 |
per cent in gross Net earnings, how /
ever. will probably show a slight in
crease from the preceding fiscal year.
Next week will see the opening of |
the spring lines of wooden goods, and
purchases of raw material, both at
the west and at the east, are increas-
ng.
I'm the iron trade, last week re-
ported grounding on the bottom, the
lone is rather better, though bessemer
ron is easier. Production is being
curtailed, this movement being IA
Eored by climatic conditions, and
there is a firmer tone to southern iron
n the west, the result of railway
rates not being reduced as expected |
In the cotton goods industry the
is still of dull trade and
Of high prices of raw materials dis
couraging future operations, but a
change for the better is easily visible.
Dry goods jobbers report that dis
-ributive demand has answered disap-
1ointingly the reductions shown in
many kinds of cotton goods during
he past two weeks
Business failures in the United
States for the week ending June 80
lumber $50, against 215 last week.
L62 in the like week in 1903 1873 in
1902, las in 1901 and LAG in 1900. In
canada failures for the week number
20, as against % last week and in
his week a year ago"