The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-06-30
BUSINESS PROSPECTS.
From r. G. Dun q cos Reuie,o.

From II. e. Dun d Co s heGtew.
The great strike of coal miners has ended
at most points, but another threatens to
interrupt business more seriously for a time,
though the number of hands engaged IS
comparatively small. Travel and traffic are
well nigh arrested on about twenty Western
roads already, and strikes. are threatened on
all roads which use Pullman cars. As the
public ana the railroads leasing the cars have
no power to say what wages shall be pald at
the Pullman shops, and the receipts OF that
company from the railroads do not depend
on the running Of leased cars, it is difficult
to calculate how long SO peculiar strike
may last, or how far it may extend. On the
whole, other changes during the week have
been for the better Many manufacturing
establishments which were stopped by want
OF fuel have resumed. Inc depletion OF tne
Treasury reserve has been checked by the
voluntary deposits of gold by New York
banks. Exports of gold have almost ceased.
Congress has made much progress toward
final disposition of the tariff question Crop
prospects grow better as the harvest draws
nearer.
The resumption of work in mines and mills
has made good progress, but the demand for
products IS as yet smaller and less urgent
than was expected. Buyers apparently wait
for lower prices of iron and steel products,
which manufacturers are slow to give, III
view of the increased cost of materials and
production. After suspension of half the
working force for more than q month, it
was expected that orders for products would
be very large but instead there is general
complaint of dullness and narrow demand,
and prices of Bessener pig and some finished
forms are little weaker. Although the
working force has evidently increased, sew
eral establishments have stopped for want
of ORDERS or because no settlement regard
ing wages for the coming year has yet been
reached. In the minor metals the tendency
is toward weakness, but without mucn
change In prices.
Textile manufacturers are much EN-
barrassed by the near approach OF probable
change in the tariff, the effect of which can
not yet be calculated. In spite of this reason
for deferring orders and purchases, the
number of mills quitting is not yet as large
as was expected, for there appears a little
more demand from clothiers and jobbers.
The cleaning up process has been acceler-
ated with success by concessions in some
cotton goods, but fall orders are still limited,
and the accumulation OF goods continues
Somewhat better orders in woolens. partl-
cularly in low-priced all-wool goods and in
Clay diagonals and worsted eheyiots, though
not large in amount, give hope of larger
trade. But the mills are buying cautiously,
and sales of wool fell below last years,
2.7S6, 700 lbs for the week against B, l42, 800.
In four weeks of June sales two years ago
were %, 769, ,250 lbs, last year only 8, 759 S76,
and this year II, 1,667, S24 lbs Growers and
other holders of wool seem disposed to de-
mand higher prices than can now be paid,
but receipts from the interior are liberal and
exceed the present demand.
From Br-aczstreet's State of Iaads''
While there is no actual improvement in
business throughout the country, there are
more favorable prospects aud better feeling
I IL,
of instances where trade has been stimulated.
The ending of the great bituninous coal
strike is promptly followed by sympathetic
strike of railway employees. which threatens
disastrous effect on business by reason of in
| reference with distribution and travel.
Losses on perishable freight in transit are
| already reported. Other unfavorable fea
| lures include conference of Rhode Island
| cotton mill owners as to the advisability OF
| shutting down, owing to accumulation OF
| stocks: heavy arrivals of wool at Eastern
markets, where stocks are already large;
| delay in settling the coal strike,
which prevents many industrial estab-
| lishments from starting up; an extremely
restricted volume of business among whole
| sale dealers in clothing at Baltimore 43 per
| cent. of what it was in the first half Of last
year; delayed orders from country mer-
chants in Georgia and South Carolina,
| where crop damage has been threatened,
ana a Sudfp T0StTlCUlOA III bu6 NOIuIuo VI S5cA-
| eral trade at Chicago. where the railway
strike centres.
Important among the favorable features
are the rains throughout the South Atlantic,
| Gulf, South, Central and Northwestern
| States, where crop damage had been feared,
with resulting gains to small grains, cotton.
fruit and vegetables. New England woollen
mills at work on dress goods and mems wear
report moderate revival in orders, and shoe
shipments from Eastern factories hold up
| well while Boston banks report increased
demand for loans and Providence jewellers
fair orders for autumn delivery.