The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-23
100000 MEN ARE IDLE
BradStreet's Estimate Received
from 119 Main Cities.
General Trade as Much Depressed as
Ever with Little PrOmise-Dun & Co.
Make 1t Psi Per Cent. Light.

NEW YORK, Dec. 22.-Bradstreet's will
say tomorrow: The features of the bust
ness week are the increased uniformity in
reports that general trade is quite as much
or more depressed than previously: that
holiday trading has been unsatisfactory and
far below that of year ago; and continued
closing down of important industrial estab-
lishments, reductions of wages and in
creased instances where short time Is being
enforced is going on. Nearly all staple
markets are quiet almost to stagnation, the
exception having been cotton, the price OF
which was stimulated late in the week by
revival of confidence in low crop reports
Wheat, too, higher for time, but re-
acted. On the other hand. pig iron never
was lower than at present. Commercial
travellers are on the road to a very limited
extent as is usual this season and stock
taking is beginning at many points, which
tends to emphasize the lack Of business
activity. With the exception of Augusta,
Ga. and possibly one other point absolute
~ no claim to even a slight Improvement
i'm any line of business is made. al any point
this week. Exports of wheat from both
coasts of the United States are not as large
az last week. amounting to only 2,6O5,0oO
bushels. about 90 per cent of the total
year ago and three-quarters of the aggre-
gate shipped in the week two years ago.
Special kilograms To Bradstreet's from 1l9
important cities throughout the country
place the total number of employees in in
dustrial and other lines out of work at this
time from all causes. together with the
total number OF people directly dependent
for support on those so rendered idle at
nearly 3,0(O,00 Business failures in the
United States number 353 this week. against
337 last week 293 a year ago. 3l3 two years
ago and $40 three years ago. Transactions
tn ltfV,. fNxNv- Loaf Gv- al q
i'm fact. almost all staple lines, are for act
ual wants only and the outlook is not for
material revival during the next sixty
There is an Improvement in Christmas
trade among retailers at few Western
cities This is true at Cleveland. where
business i'm other respects is unchanged.
At Cincinnati trade is very quiet Trans
actions in staple goods at Toledo are re-
ported fair. hut in other lines business IS
very duh. The holiday trade at Detroit
is less than anticipated. and industrial lines
continue inactive. All departments OF bust
ness are reported dull at indianapolis ard
Louisville. The volume of Christmas trade
at Chicago Is only fair. and in other lines
there is comparatively little doing. travel
erS being off the road and merchants re-
ceiving relatively few orders by mail. This
is tbs, beginning of the season for inVento-
rles which emphasizes the 1ullness job
bers in hats and shoes at ST Louis report
business restricted to actual wants AMI
the movement Of iron as slow as ever There
Is no activity in business circles at Kan
Sas city. aside from Christmas SpecialtieS.
except in lines OF cheap goods. Trade re-
mains steady at Omaha. though smaller
than n wear ago. and dullness Chara cterizes
the situation at Milwauk 20, Minneapolis,
Duluth and st. Paul as for weeks past.
On the Pacific coast the feature Is tho
San Francisco Traffic Associations contract
with the North American Navigation Com
peting steamer. service via "anama 10 New
York city Wholesale trade is reasonably
quiet in the province of Ontario, which 10
true also in Quebec, commercial travellers
being home the holidays.