The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-13
COHnERCIAL MATTRRS, Etc.

During tho twelve years Mr.. Mcpherson
was Clerk Of the United States II 1use of Rep
fesentatives he discussed over So, 0OO, 600
The other day, when he had final settlement
with the Treasury Department. it was found
that there was balance Of 81 &c to his credit.
The Philadelphia molasses trade is flourish.
ing. The total receipts in 1875 were lOS. 461
hhds-sn increase OF 27,087 hhds over the
previous year.
The abomination of abbreviation, affected
by tradesmen, has begun to crop out in the
book-keeper advertisements. An unemployed
saccoun ant thus advertises in St Louis jour
nal: "Situstion wanted as book-keeper OF
cashier In manuf OF com. bus by gentleman
with ability and best ref; no big salary e1
.pected. Andrew p"
Ii looks very much as though they had
some coffee spectators in Haytl. The Gov
eminent has decreed that the duty on coffee
shall be 81 so per 100 pounds, trom and after
January lat, 1877, instead OF So as new.
Some DO ly eype cts to get rich out OF this, we
suppose, if political machinery in Hlyti
anything like GU own, b It Il Q pi ooable effect
of the duty would be to shut buyers out OF
Haytien markets.
The official statement of the exports Of
domestic products from Philadelphia to
foreign ports during the year 1875, shows an
increase in value of S2,057, 8l6 over the total
OI Luo yobI pTcVIUub, Iuo dSBIcRato bulpueutb
being S31 1886, 727, of which $12, 269 ia were
in American vessels, and $l9,647,6I3 in
soreign.
TIE Cincinnati Price Current publishes an
elaborate pork-packing report, with estimates
for the entire season, which indicate falling
off at all interior points in the West amount
ing to 570 900 hogs; and with possible fall
ing off at the leading cities enough to make
the aggregate decrease 100000, compared
with last year. The Price Cirrent, however,
regards the chances favoring a final deficiei cy
somewhat less than this number, and that,
taking the increased weights into considera-
ton, it may be safe to calculate that the h.g
crop will not materially vary from 5OOO.OO
year, deere ase Of 10 per cent The pack
ing to date at all points is approximately
3, 900, GOO. against 4, OOO. 900 hogs year ago.
The interior points in Ohio show 10 to II
pounds decrease in weights; Indiana about
the same as last year; Illinois 70 pounds in
crease; Iowa Is pounds increase; Missouri 80
pounds increase; Kansas and Nebraska 81
poun Is increase, and moderate increase in
other sections.
Sudden exposures OF the dishonesty Of con-
fidential clerks are getting to be very COM
mon nowadays, and it suggests the idea that
crookedness is beginning to prevail in every
department of business life in an unprec.
sdented degree The defalcation of Charles T.
Beckwith, brought to light in New York last
week, is one of the most as Onishing instan
'ces OF mercantile crookedness on record. Frr
three years Beck with had IN his keeping the
entire soap business of Mr.. Barbitr, which
amounted to from SIS, 900 900 to $50 900, 900
annually. Babbitt is evidently man given
10 confidence for his former book-keepsr
Swindled him out Of 100000.
G1
3, osi'ion. and that gentleman scooped him out
of $500, 900 during the term of his confidence
clerkship. Mr.. Babbtt, like good many
other merchants or manufacturers with an ex-
tensivs business, could not sit on chair in |
his office and watch the confidential clerk |
from o'clock in the morning until 6 o'clock |
In the evening. but he could certainly balance |
his cash account every month, and examine |
his books and invoices to see if there had |
been any tampering. If not able to do it |
himself he could have obtained the services |
of an expert. A merchant who watches his |
own check book, bills and bank account with |
any degree of care is in no great danger of q |
robbery like that OF Beckwith.
Fraudulent Marine Insurance.
The London Times asserts that every
Lloyd's man knows that over.insurance and |
intentional losses at sea are not the frauds
against which there is most need to be on
guard If there are any firms which could
be suspected Of them, it would scarcely suit
the underwriters to allow them to carry out
their purpose. The real danger comes from
vessels being kept at work when they ought to
be condemned as unseaworthy These old
bulls may make their voyage safely, and, as a
rule, they do; but they are clearly liable to be
lost under stress of weather which better
vessels would survive. The underwater, &C.
,ordingly, takes his chance Of this, and Sc
cures his profit in the long run by the higher
nor the more respectable class of shipowners
would find any fault with law which rem
1ered this sort o contract invalid, and SO, in
Effect, prohibited it.
The Consumption Of Cotton.
An annual review of the consumption of
cotton in the United states, published by the
Commercial and Financial Chronicle, establishes
the unlooked-for result that more cotton was
in the year ending July, 1875. than
n 1874. Northern spinners took l.O97 ,OOl
bales. against ], O94 1897 in 1873 "a, and South
,rn spinners 145 079 bales, against 128, 526 in
1873 "a a total of 1922 $50 bales, against
|, 222, 9l3 bales. This shows gratifying gain
IN the part OF Southern consumption, as the
Increase in the South was about 13 per cent,
while Northern spinners used only $40 Of
Der cent more than in the former year.
The follow wing were com parative takiDgs OF
primers:
1872. 1873. 1874. 1915.
Sorth'n mills, 81 80 lo63 465 i774I7 1862 so
'outhn NILS, 10000 1852 12s5a6 1909
Total. og, $40 1,2ol, III 3o5 543 ao7 6ol
The Department of Agriculture estimates
,e 4, 05O, 900 to 4,15O,O bales. The result
no " ho oto ad aa follows. |