The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-12-07 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

MANCHESTER.—ID our last report, we noticed the quieter
tone which was observable in this market on Monday and
Tuesday. This has continued during the middle of the week
and up to to-day, although some parties have experienced a
sensible improvement since yesterday forenoon, and find buy-
ers operating more freely than they did at the beginning of the
week. Upon the whole, however, this week has been a heavy
one, although no decided alteration can be quoted in prices.
Some of the country houses have shown a greater disposition to
give out orders, and have entered into contracts extending over
the next few months. In yarns for the home-trade, and for the
Mediterranean. business has been steady, but limited ; while,
in numbers suitable for India, the greatest depression prevails.
Some sales of 40-inch shirtings have been made this week at
prices lower than any quoted within the last few months. No
failures of any importance bare taken place.
LA NCASII IRF..—The trade in the cotton mills at Oldham,
Heywood, Bury, Rochdale, and vicinities, has a better appear-
ance. The hands in many of the mills have commenced work-
ing longer time, and it is said others have had notice of more
work. 'There begins to be more confidence, vet there is a ge-
neral complaint amongst shopkeepers, drapers, and other
tradesmen, of the scarcity of money. The woollen-cloth trade
at Saddleworth, which has been dull for some time past, is im-
proving, and the reports from America are more favourable.
Operatives have more work than they had a month since. The
broad silk trade at Manchester and the neighbouring towns is
very dull. .
LEEDS.—Little, if any, change can be noticed in the state of
the woollen trade since our last report. But a very limited
amount of business continues to he transacted, nor is any sud-
den improvement anticipated. Upon the whole, the tone of
business has been slightly better this week than last, and the
foreign houses have purchased more goods. Happily we con-
tinue without any failures of large amount; and in the general
improvement of the trade of the country, which improvement
in time must and will come, there is no doubt the staple trade
of this town and neighbourhood will largely participate.
BRADFORD.—There is nothing encouraging in the piece mar-
ket this week. Low Moreens are the most activein demand,
and the supply short. The arrival of the Caledonia has not
given any better tone to our market, nor is any decided im-
provement looked for till towards the end of the year. There
is, however, great caution exhibited in the manufacture, and
the new year will open with far less than an average stock of
goods. Wools and yarns are without alteration.
HUDDERSFIELD.—There has been a very quiet market here
to-day, an unusual flatness even for this season of the year.
Prices are receding, stocks generally low.
HA Li FAX.—There have been very few buyers attending our
market this day ; few goods have consequently changed hands,
and these at very low prices. Altogether the market has been
a very dull one. Yarns still continue in the same depressed
state, and sinless spinners would take considerably less than
the yarn cost them, they cannot do much business. Wool con-
tinues much the same as usual, and only a small amount of
is
sale. The
t,ehtianneostniitahnenteloapnredirlioowns.4ll.loidinsill:,,se.
business doing, owing to the limited demand.
ROCHDALE FLANNEL MARE ET.— We had rather more buy-
hdemmoadrekreatt et is'
Middling qualities, dyed goods, and strong Yorkshire flannels
lentraveillul
been rather dull. The prices of flannel goods generally, that
have been sold for ready money, have been rather lower than
on this day week. Some of the largest manufacturers refused
to sell at the reduced prices. There has been rathermore doing
in the wool market to-day. Brokes and skins were scarce.
Prices are much the same as our last report. The hands in
the woollen mills generally, have full employment, but hand-
loom operatives are short of work.
HOSIERY AND LACE TRADES.—The condition of the cotton
hosiery, whether wrought or cut, is by no means amended; and
extensive distress among the operatives seems generally to pre-
vail. The glove trade, both cotton and silk, we lament`to say,
is ,in a most depressed state, especially the latter—the workmen
in some parts of the town, to use the words of our informant,
" being starving.":—The drawer branches are also bad, but we
do not think they have declined since our last. The cotton
bobbin net trade is still in a gloomy state, and the machine
owners are attempting to get into other occupations. In the
midst of so much gloom we are glad to find that attempts to
make new manufactures are yet going on. both in the hosiery
and lace trades, the p • riocipal of which are to make velvet and
such like articles.—Nottingham Journal.
THE IRON TRADE.—A meeting of Welsh ironmasters was
held yesterday (Friday), for the purpose of discussing the in-
terests and the prospects of the trade. It was finally
agreed,
that, from the present depressed state of trade, and reduction
of prices, it became indispensable to reduce the rate of wages.
This is a result greatly to be lamented and deprecated. It may
be quite true that, within a few months, the price of bar-iron
'the form in which Welsh iron is gem,rally delivered—has de-
clined from ten guineas to i 7 15s. per ton ; but it is not the
less true that, at the former excessively high price, enormous
,profits were realized, without any proportionate advantage to
;the mining operatives. The reduced price of .t 7 15s. per ton
'should still 'afford ample returns upon capital to the great iron-
masters of Wales—tile greatest indeed in the world. We have
good reasons to believe, from calculations of our own, made in
Merthyr Tydvil, some years since and on data furnished from
personal inspection of hooks and returns, liberally opened to
us by the proprietors of one of the largest iron-works in the
district, that bar-iron can be readily produced now, not with-
out some profit, at .efi per ton, as then, with much lower
wages, it could he made at .e 5, or little more. Several large
works there can readily furnish from 20,000 to 30,000 tons per
year. The return profits may thus be readily estimated ap-
proximately. We repeat our regret, therefore, that a present
decrease of too large profits should be visited so hastily upon
the operatives—supposing the determination of the meeting of
masters such as reported— seeing that the operatives could
have had no proportionate share in the advantages derived
from the before very high rate of profits which fell to the mas-
ters._Afiging Journal.