Show REVIEW OF TRADE correspondence of the jt cannot be said that business has changed for better or worse during the past week causes of recent dul ness and of depression in markets become more clearly visible severe rather prolonged strikes and reaction from last years over hopefulness being prominent the effects of speculation based on hopes of foreign war are made plain by preliminary accounts of january exports showing a loss of in breadstuff s in cotton in provisions and in oil compared with january 1887 but improve mentis ment is expected to appear in minor items and partial returns for february show a better movement in any case exports do not sufficiently exceed imports thus far this year to balance interest and under valuations so that sales of new bonds of which have been issued and partly placed since january ast 1st appear to have brought in some reinforcement of foreign capital the treasury has taken in in excess of payments this week but money is in ample supply here and at all interior points reporting the markets continue unusually stagnant and prices vary but little on the whole the average price of stocks has not changed half of one per cent since the year opened the general average of commodities is less than an eighth of one per cent lower than january ast 1st or higher than february ast 1st the natural advance of the season in some products being balanced by lower prices in most of the commercial staples the shrinkage in exports forces slow reaction in wheat ten million bushels less having gone out in seven months this year than last year at date about bushels remain for export a of supplies for seed and W whereas last years exports af s dato bushels ar fineral reduction in elevator cho expected to help trading and to nd have neither po fc at odless vanee 3 nor yielded though hogs are lower ool declined 1 cents and one eighth to a quarter sugar of the trust turn the duties tho recent some t confidence in tea has inc been lo 10 it aad coffee option sj are pressed i ya sale butter is firme for with no change in good gr of cattle cheese lit large desports and beef i january are goods mararet shows great the dry of strength in cottons prices are already high many in enough for raw cotton chere ia talk of further advances 1 the demand foro olens continues though better ulan it was is arm but buy still cautious M ere are the of pig year exceeded icons nd of all iron domestic and foreign over tons but the shrinkage of tons weekly in production barely keeps prices steady and ingbar iron a cat by a large western establishment lish ment reflects the shrinkage in demand prices are now lower than a year ago for pig 6 6 to 7 for plates and 7 for rails added to the light demand as a cause of weakness there is the statement that the committees tariff bill will duties on ore to 50 cents on pig to and on rails to 11 the strikes in the anthracite region cause much distress but no of speedy settlement appears works shipped but cars in january agamet last year but the prospect of any agreement is considered gloomy the two great causes of depression in iron manufacture railroad wars and the cessation of house building in many cities still affect the demand railroad Kail road earnings for january show an increase but slightly greater than the increase in it is represented that western roads are losing per month through the war of rates but this is only in comparison with the increased earnings which the advance in rates has secured for the past nine months managers meet this week to attempt a settlement but little hope is expressed no compact can entirely remove the consequences of balding two roads where there is traffic enough for only one at st kansas city and some other western towns low rates have caused a considerable increase in business activity but at most points trade is reported quiet or dull with unfavorable weather and impracticable roads commonly assigned as the banse throughout the west and southwest in southeastern states business opens with bright prospects the business failures occurring throughout the country during the last seven days as reported toja 0 dun co the mercantile agency by telegraph this day friday number for the united states and for canada 37 a total of as compared with a total of last week and the week previous to the last the figures for the corresponding week last year were failure up of in the united states and 36 in canada the failures in canada still seem to be unusually numerous NEW february |