Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 April 1885 — THE BUSINESS SITUATION. [ARTICLE]

THE BUSINESS SITUATION.

[From the Chicago Tribune.] The disappearance of the war-cloud has deprived the business world of the spectacular and speculative element that recently caused so much disturbance, and we must now fall back on the real merits of the situationand the slow, humdrum course of ordinary trade events. Except the damage that has been done to the winter wheat in the ground, the extent of which nobody knows, and which must therefore cause considerable fluctuation in the price of the commodity, there is nothing which is likely to furnish the speculators much material to work with. The distribution of goods is now very unsatisfactory to the sellers as to quantity and still more so as to price. While the cool weather has something to do with this, the main causes are the enforced economies of consumers and the timidity of retailers, who do not dare to lay in large stocks in anticipation of a better demand in the near future. The iron men have resigned themselves to the expectation of low prices for a long time, and the dry goods people think themselves fortunate if they save themselves. There is considerable activity in lumber, but profits are small. The reductions in tho dividends of the carrying companies attract a good deal of attention, because their affairs are publicly known; but their hardships are not at all out of proportion to those of other branches of business, and there is more probability of further reductions than of a return to the old dividends soon.

The labor market is more quiet all over the country than for some weeks. There was ro much slack rope in the money market that the war excitement did not produce any visible effect on it. The reserves of the bank are growing again, and rates are as low as ever. There was an increase of nearly $27,000,000 in the gold held by the national banks of the country between Dec. 20 and March 10, and the holdings are no doubt larger now. The loans fell off during that time, and have certainly not increased much since, though we are now in what is usually au active season of the year. The stock market is very dull, and there is nothing in the legitimate business field which promises any large trading in stock for months.

The States of Maryland, Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, and West Virginia have never had Lieutenant Governors.