Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-07-17
ANOTHER GLANCE AT
TRADE
Through the Spectacles of an
Old Conservative House.

\ conservative firm in New York,
whose opinions on trade, especially
metals, is considered of value, writes as
follows: The condition Of trade in 1879
has been one of uninterrupted improve
meut, and its volume will average over
fifty per cent greater than for the same
period OF 1873. This condition OF busl-
ness is also verified by the greatly inn
proved traffic on all the leading railway
lines. In January and February last,
we called attention to the promising out
OOk of affairs, and ventured 10 predict a
year Of unusual activity and hardening
prices. OF the present time, II may
surely be said that stocks are low; that
the demand from consumption is health
ily increasing and has overtaken pro-
ductiOn; and that the most conservative
admit that business is permanently ad-
vancing in all directions. Labor so long
idle and badly paid is now in full em-
ployment, and with its millions OF con-
sumers spending its earnings, trade Is
gradually becoming profitable and Sc
cure. In Europe, though dullness and
disaster have been general, still the un-
dercurrent runs strongly toward the
return of prosperity; enterprise Is re-
viying. capital is freely offered at low
rates, the political situation is more as
sured:-and, though English crops
are again apparently failure,
still the cheapness of food from
the United States, will, in a
measure, compensate, and serve again 10
circulate the plethora OF English capital
in fructifying American manufactures
and commerce, and in stimulating the
best kind of emigration TO these happy
shores. The silver question, so veXed
and threatening to American finances,
is rapidly solving itself. The return OF
commercial activity in India, and the
increasing public works in Asia, point
to an immense absorption in the future
of silver coinage, and a restoration OF
the equilibrium between that metal and
gold. Beyond all doubt, the necessities
of certain nations will compel them If
not officially, yet unOfficially, to re-adopt
silver coinage.
The annual report for 1873 OF the
British Iron Trade Association, while 1t
represents the losses of both fixed and
free capital, the absolute humiliation Of
some great iron industries, the lOwneSs
Of wages, the enforced idleness OF labor,
the want and misery and ruin resulting,
still looks upon the returns, official and
otherwise, Of English revenue, and the
volume Of English trade in 1873 as de
cidedly hopeful and encouraging. The
revenue returns for the wear ending
with December, 1878, were ESO,0OO,OOO
aS against e7S,OOO,0O0 in 1871.
The railway traffic returns of the
kingdom prove that during even the
last half of 1873 there was Il marked de
crease of receipts i'm only iOur OF them,
the largest being in the Northeastern,
which, however, made Il dividend of
seven per cent, but the total decrease
of about ES0,000 was scattered among
tweuty-two Of the leading railways thus
indicating that the volume of business
was not badly diminished in that year
of eliminating trouble. English imports
during that period decreased E2S, 100000,
but exports decreased only e6,OOO,OOO.
Thus lar for 1873. In 1879 the business
of Europe, bad as it is, shows still more
encouraging figures than those of 1873.
This report also shows the number OF
labor strikes in England during 1873 To
have been 277, viz? IS among coal
miners; 20 among puddlers and mould
erS; among iron ship builders;
among boiler makers; II among build
ing trades; ll2 among various trades.
In 1 cases out OF pa the strikers were
successful; in IL cases a compromise re-
suited; in 256 cases the men went back
to work on employers terms.