Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-30
THE WEEKS TRADE.
Reports of Bradstreet and Dun-Dismai
Record of 1893.

Record of 1893.
NEW YORK. December 29.-Brad-
streets tomorrow will say: An absoiute
decline in the volume Of general trade
this week. the week In the year In which
dulness in wholesale circles Is most con-
spicuous. merely emphasizes conditions
previously reported With few exceptions
the holiday trade has been disappointing.
Restriction of production in industrial
lines continues as severe as heretofore
noted, the tendency being to add to rather
thll subtract from the total number Of
waee-earners in enforced idleness through
out the country. In the more important
lines of manufacture of textiles and
metals the restrictions of output within
the past six months have ranged from Is
to 10 per cent. the larger share of which
is still maintained.
The Augusta (Ga) cotton-mllls, fully
employed during the year. have recently
declared about 10000 in dividends.
At Philadelphia the wool manufacturers
are doing very little. with no improve
ment in prospect. Four fifths OF the en-
ployees Of the leather-factories there are
idle and dulness reigns In petroleum,
lumber. tobacco. and iron. Orders for
spring delivery at Baltimore are Of
smaller volume than usual, and the out
look Is not as favorable as anticipated.
At Richmond stock-taking emphasizes
the recent dulness and keeps CONNER
cial travellers off the road. There is no
improvement In trade circles at Charles
ton or Memphis. At Augusta the reia-
tive prosperity OF the cotton-mils raises
the condition Of general trade above the
average. At Atlanta few purchases are
being made, and old supplies have been
largely disposed OF. StOcktaking and dull
ness in general trade rule Business is
only fair at Savannah, the prices OF cot
ton and Of naval-stores having greatly
reacted. Business seems quiet at Blr-
mingham, but is better than expected at
Mobile, where the prospects are bright.
While trade is dull at New Orleans,
the outlook is for an earlier improve
ment than anticipated, and sugar people
rejoice at the prospect OF receipts OF
10000 barrels. Unseasonably mild wea-
ther tends to further depression It Gal
weston and other Texas points.
X. @. Dun * Co.'S weekly review of
trade tomorrow Will say, under the cap
ton THE Year 1899: Starting with the
largest trade ever known. mills crowded
with work. and all business stimulated
u.
in sudden shrnkage Of trade, I'm CONNER
cial disasters, and depression of industries.
the worst for fifty years. Whether the
final results Of the panic of 1897 were re-
latively more severe the scanty records
Of that time do not clearly show. The
year closes with prices OF many products
the lowest ever known. with millions OF
workers seeking In vain for work, and
with charity laboring to keep back suf-
fering and starvation in all our cities.
All hope the new year may bring brighter
days but the dying year leaves only a
dismal record.
The review Of different departments of
trade given to-day exhibits a collapse OF
industry and business which is almost
without precedent. The iron industry still
leaves 40 per cent. of the force unem-
ploycd. over half the woollen manufac-
ture Is idle, and excepting a brief recovery
in November, has been SO ever since tho
new wool came in May, the price having
fallen 20 per cent. for fieece-the lowest
point ever known. The sales OF cotton
goods are fully quarter below the usual
quantity. The small advance attempted
in boots and shoes year ago was not
sustained, but, with prices as low as ever,
the shipments of boots and shoes from
Boston are "a per cent. less than last
year in December Not only manufac-
tured goods as whole, but the most i'm
portant farm products are so low that
producers find little comfort.
Clear evidence of the shrinkage In diff
ferent branches of business is afforded
by answers already received TO several
thousand circulars requesting the figures
of sales during tine last half of 1898 and
'92. Full information OF the results will
be given hereafter. but the returns OF
textile goods already show a decrease
of 81 per cent Iron returns thus far
show decrease Of 50 per cent, the reports
thus far on jewelry show q decrease OF
20 per cent. on furniture OF 26 per cent.
on dry goods. 20 per cent: hats 1915 per
cent. ; hardware, 10 per cent: shoe manu-
features. is per cent; dealing in shoes,
s per cent, and clothing, 10 per cent.
IL Is curious that the only trade show
ing any increase as yet Is in groceries,
the aggregate sales being / per cent.
larger than In the last half OF 1872. In
the thirty-seven years covered by the re-
cords of this agency the number OF fail
ures has only once risen a little above
1850 In year. In 1858 the number OF
failures reported has been 1850. The
aggregate OF the liabilities In all fail
ures reported has in six years never
risen above s2O0.000.o00. This year the
strictly commercial liabilities alone. have
exceeded 1881, 422, S2s. the liabilities oi
banking and finaHcial institutions have
been l0.956.S54. and the liabilities Of rail-
roads placed In the hands OF receivers
about sl.2i2. .217,S33.
As all reports hitherto have been tc
some extent erroneous. through the in
clusion of failures not strictly CONNER
cial, the classified returns show 3.22j man.
ufacturing failures. with liabilities OF
si64, 707, 40; 10sSS failures In Legitimate
trade with liabilities OF 1851, 500. and
302 other failures. including those oI
brokers and speculatofs. with liabilities
OF S6.662.7S5. The average Of liabilities
In manufacturing Is $4,000; in legitimate
trading. $500; and In other failures
silOco.