The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-03-19

| C0A W twenty per cent lower than year ago,
from first hands the distribution of merchan-
dise mas been equally as great as in 1874,
which was larger than for the same time in
either OF the past eight years.
Although the trade appears quiet there is
more business doing than is generally cred
tied. There is nothing Of that magnetic ac
tion visible that has characterized past sea
sons, but In its stead We find buyers resoute
and fixed IN determination not to buy more
than they want, or they see an immediate de-
mand Tor with the or ening of spring weather
and with people suffering for necessities it re-
qulres VIVID Imagination to picture the ex
cuse Tor buying light weight fabrics in such
weather as we have had for the last two
months.
But We are asked, What is to become Of the
production Of the mills in the meantime Z
BIS Is a question that we will answer by ask
ing, When dld prices ever present 50 strong
and steady front on as quiet market (?
bulls and bears may argue over this problem
without arriving at solution that is in the
least satisfactory, but if the reader will free
MS mind from prejudice influenced bv self
| interest, the answer is not difficult. During
the panic production was curtailed by fe :
mills to ten per cent, vet the wear of 1874
showed more yards OF goods as having passed
into consumption than ever before for a like
period
The production of 1874 was reduced to
considerable extent through the f.ilure of
many mills, mostly all producers of wo0lens
OF some class, while during the last three
months Of the same year the regular supply
was curailed fully twenty-five per cent, which
has been compelled by the severity of the
winter to be continued through the last two
months, and may last through this. Some
persons will argue that this is not so. If not,
hot ,t,;,, |,
ket: Tho cost of raw material is OF no i'm
portance whatever, supply and demand regu-
lates the price of merchandise, and buyers
may reason themselves blind, but that does
not and will not change the fact that the pro-
ducuon at present Is very much reduced.
The Trade Of Chicago.
good idea of the immense trttfic Of Chi
cago IN the produce line by the presentat on
OF a few statistics. taken from the seventeenth
annual report Of Secretary Randolph, of the
Board Of Trade of that city. According to his
statement, there were shipped from that port
during the year 1874, by rail and water, y, 5G2
tierces and barrels of beef, 23l $50 barrels OF
pork, 2G2, 93l, 1852 pounds of provisions and
cut meats, 81 209, SS7 pounds OF lead, II 020
100 pounds Of butter, 80, Si2, 72l pounds Of
wool, A. $50, 931 poulls Of hides -, 315 ,f23
pounds of seeds 657,29J barrels OF salt l62,-
9l7 barrels Of high wines and liquors. 10 95i.-
093 pounds Of lead, 252, S72 tons of coal. 5SJ,-
673, ga feet Of lumber, $40, l9G, G5I shingles.
SPEAKING OF THEsE SHIPMENTS.
of course they are coufned to the board Of
trade alone, and have to reference to outside
or private shipments, which, ticking them all
together, must amount 70 a. least halt as much
more, and perhaps even neatly sw.ce greet
an amount.
The above shipments are for produce alone.
8 n 4 n r IN n
clandise. The amounts are given Tor one
year-1S4 and will convey some idea Of
what they have done for series Of years.
dating back to the year lSf7 The
LIVE STOCK SHIPMENTS
are even re,ter in proportion The sottI
number of cattle received in Chicago during
the year 1874 was St3, 1855 head, and the total
number shipped was 622, 929 head. The
total number of live and dressed hogs re.
ceiyed during the same year was 4 412, G37s
the shipments were ?, 52S los. The average
weekly shipments of wheat corn. oats, rye,
and barley, during the year 1874. through
the board Of trade were 3. 1914, 1870 bushels and
Of flour G3. III barrels.
flour AND GRAIN.
The total shipments Of gram from Chicago
to the East during the wear 1874 were as fol-
lows: Flour ? 957, 0iG barrels. wheat 81, 355,-
$50 bushels, corn 3I0l2,S76 bushels oats
IA, 3Gt 2S6 bushels rye SG3.29 bushels. bar
ley }, S23 81 bushels.
w. ges in France.
The Bureau Of General Statistics Of France
has collected number Of tables, which throw
light upon the rate of wages paid in the diff
ferent trades and the several departments of
France. They are confessedly imperfect but
contain the best information that could be Sc
cured on the subject. In 1853 the average
wages, with beard, paid throughout France
to laborers Of all kinds was 80 confines day, |
or about IS cents In 1871 this pay has risen
to l franc 40 centimes, or % cents day. |
The increase was over a per cent. In the
same time the highest rate of wages had been |
nearly As per cent and the lowest |
rate little more than IS per cent.
The wages of laborers who did not receive |
board had been raised from 80 cents to 50
day, an increase of only 40 per cent. 1t will
be seen that the rate of increase has been
highest ia the case Of those who receive board
with wages. and that the difference of wages
where board was and was not given amounted
in 1853 to twenty cents, and in 1871, to twen
ty-tive cents. The cost of feeding man in
the two years is probably represented with
tolerable accuracy by these figures. If so,
the cost of the necessaries of life has risen of
in the eighteen years nearly one-third, and
the increase of wages was greater than the In
crease in the cost of living. The working
classes have shared to greater or less extent
n the increased prosperity OF France.
All classes of working men and women
have shared in the rise of wages, but the in
,rease has been greatest with those who were
worst paid in 1858, such as bakers, BARRIERS,
charcoal burners, cutters and
aborers, and it has also been very marked in
he trades connected with building. The best
Daid workmen are those engaged in the orna
mental arts, particularly workers in gold, and
watch and clock makers. The average wages
,aid for skilled labor for men, in 1871, was 50
ents; the highest, 81 30. In the case of
women, the wages of skilled labor have in
reased less than in the case of men, and in
ST. their wages remained about half those of
men, or 30 cents day.
Our Relations with Spain.
1t is ascertained at the proper official source
hat the United States have not made treaty