New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-02
INCREASING VOLUME.
Business Optimism Expressed
in All Leading Cities.

Commercial reports for the week just
ended contain an unnistakable tone u
good cheer and confidence regarding COM
nerce and industry. "Dun's Review has
the following:
"Advices from leading cities. both t'aSt
and West, with scarcely an exception
speak OF a bigger volume OF trade, larger
advance orders, better employment OIL
labor and q growing confidence that ths
now practically assured crops make inc
future secure. In every part OF the coun-
try business optimism Is the rule, ana
all other considerations are practically
ignored in the light of the conviction that
n period OF national prosperity has set III
which only some great and impropapp@
calamity could stop The advance III the
Bank or England rate of discount 10 per
cent is an International expression u
more urgent demand for money as TO-
,ult I'm large part OF the increased move
mon, Of products TO the great market
and higher money which is the result oi
business activity. is not sign or weak
ness. Bank clearings reveal now iihpoi
tart and wide is the area OF aoFahc"'
nearly every city reports gains ana TIE
toto, Increase this week Is i0.2 per cent
over last year and 1913 per cent over i'I''
During three weeks in August railroad
gross earnings gained 81 per cent; tie
margin of idle cars declined and the prob
lem of transporting the traffic OF the
country becomes daily more important
The wheat crop is rot only large ou'
there is every prospect Of an urgent DO
nestle and foreign demand. weather
conditions continue favorable TO both corn
and cotton. Until the price OF ra" COZ
ton becomes more settled the cotton
goods trade will be moro or less oiS-
turbed by the uncertainty. But the
woollcn and vorsted trade is active, ana
tho whole textile situation, both as re-
yards manufacturers and distributors APP
pears very promising. The shoe trade
steadily improves. Hides and leather
continue strong and active In the iron
and steel industry the activity in all
branches Is not only maintained, but II
continues 70 expand UP 10 normal ca
pacity. The industrial improvement is
shown by the fact that the large increase
in September dividend and interest dis
bursements is chiefly due to the bigger
earnings OF industrial corporations. Btu
mlnous coal, as usual in a period or in
dustrial expansion. is active and hrnl'
Foreign commerce is large, but the feat
ure now is In the growth Of Imports; N
the latest week the foreign commerce OF
New York totslled S37 26s. ss2 against $50,
sss. $50 in 1911 and s3l.I11.le9 in 1910 and
while there WAS a moderate gain In eT-
ports the increase in imports amounted
to }5.t73Se5.
Further advances are generally expected
I'm iron and steel, rejecting the prevailing
satisfactory conditions in this market.
Stocks OF pig iron arc low and prices very
Arm, although present buying Is rather
light. az consumers appear 10 have sufTi-
cient supplies to last them up 10 the first
OF the year. Producers. however. arc not
accepting orders very freely for delivery
during the first quarter OF 1915 as they
expect better prices later on. Sheet St el
IS in good demand and the larger plants
arc sold up to next January. Similar
conditions prevail In wire products and
prices OH these have been advanced. No
large individual orders are reported for
steel plates, but the total Of small orders
aggregates a good tonnage. Railroad re-
ouirements necessitate the placing of cen
siderable business and substantial vol
urno of orders Tor rails and other equip
mont is said TO be pending"
"Bradstreets" report is equally opti-
mistic. ~ shown by the following extract;
Business conditions are even more re-
assuring than heretofore. Crop develop
ments continue exceptionally favorable,
industrial operations are moving at a
swifter pace, labor is In scant supply.
both in mill and field; buying for fall,
winter and next spring is Of larger pro-
portions. money is in more active demand,
currency is going to the country in larger
volume, a general shortage OF railway
cars In another month seems certain the
pig iron trade displays marked activity.
and, finally, collections are gradually i'm.
proving. with further betterment likely
TO ensue when the marketing of crops is
on a larger scale. At the moment retail
trade reflects cnd-of-the-s season condi-
lions, but fall buying is expected TO be
very heavy, particularly as the soil has
produced so much wealth. which will be
fully reflected later on in a free circula-
ton Of money. while the widespread en-
ployment OF labor is expected to make
for steady consumptive demand AS al
ready indicated, the crop situation is
really excellent, corn having made further
progress, while cotton shows less than
seasonal deterioration. Corn needs anoth-
er thirty days OF sunshine TO mature the
plant, but while there are some reports
OF damage to cotton from insects II is
not thought TO be material enough to i'm.
pair the situation as whole. Thrashine
OF spring wheat has been delayed by
rains. which have also caused some dam
age to wheat in shock. but the lettering
factors are hardly important enough 10
affect results. Activity In jobbns lines
is quite pronounced. fine crops and pros
poets OF free supply OF funds having
generated degree Of optimism which Is
mirrored in free buying Of a multitude OF
staple goods. House trade has been very
good. thanks to the presence OF visiting
buyers who seem undetcrred by political
activity. incidentally, road sales are OF
better volume-the largest in five years,
according to Southwestern advices-and
mail orders have appeared in liberal vol
ume. the upturn being most noteworthy
In all OF the surplus crop producing re-
gions, and even the South has Joined the
other sections with reports Of favorable
potential trade. In point of activity dry
goods and it's allied branches, as we'll as
wool, lumber, builders materials, hard