The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-03
A SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT
NOTED IN BUSINESS M The CoM'
MERCfIL AGENCIES.
storms aud Cold Weather Leave Their FL
isct Upon Trade In the south--Ee-
Ports from the Cities.

week ago regarding the outcome of the
financial or revenue dlspufes perhaps
more people have come to the belief that
the end will answer their wishes. Ger
tainly rather more are taking limited
fisks IN business. especially in stocks.
The slowly growing demand for goods.
caused by gradual exhaustion Of stocks
held by dealers, has further enlarged the
working force In manufactures The fall
Of silver TO q lid. and below 90 cents
here. and after a slight recovery its re-
newed weakness, have an unfavorab bic in
iuence on some markets. The announce
ment that import duties are TO be inn
posed by India, If confirmed. may increase
the difficulty The passage of the segnio-
rage bin by the House late on Thursday
has not had time to produce much effect.
but il is not financially reassuring
More works have resumed or increased
hands or hours than have stopped or
reduced but numerous reductions in
wages continue 10 lessen the purchasing
/ power of those at work The demand for
| distributors is almost exclusively for me-
dunn or low-priced wooden and cotton
| goods for $50 and not for s. boots. and
for shoes rather than boots. Some sales
men and traders find Indications that
stocks Of the higher priced goods remain
/ ing on hand are much larger than usual,
| and bankers judge that much of the de-
| mand for commercial loans is virtually
| for renewals 20 carry such unsold stocks.
Sharp reductions IN Indian Head sheetings
and Amoskeag tickings cause larger trad
ing. but print cloths are accommodating
! and weak and several mills Of Importance
| have closed. I'm all branches Of the
wooden manufacture the demand is yet
Il Is
what improved in worsted and dress
! goods. and leading mills have been taking
wool quite largely. so that in three chief
markets the sales have been 4.9s32O
pounds for the week. against 5l9S,20O last
year. i'm part because scarcely any foreign
wool has been imported for months and
/ supplies are short. Western markets are
also broader without Improvement I'm
price.
Continued weakness appears i'm prices
Of metal products, Notwithstanding rome
increase I'm actual business. PittsOurs
offers steel bars here at 10. which is only
one cent at the mill; plates at 10 at
| Tidewater, and beams delivered here
at 135. Moderate orders for cast pipe
have been placed, and some large rtruc-
| tural contracts. with others expected.
Even i'm the Pittsburg region. little over
| half the force is employed. and only
| - per cent on the COnnellsville coke
ovens are yet i'm operation. \ few more
| furnaces are i'm blast: southern pig iron
| is weaker and 1000 tons southern war
rants have been taken by English holders,
who now have 5000 tons. There are
heavy transactions I'm lake ore at Pitts
burg. and IT Is said that with ore at
! STD coke at Soc and wages reduced
/ 20 per cent. many furnaces can make
| iron at a profit even at the present prices.
The decrease I'm domestic trade repre-
! scented by clearings is 4OS per cent for
the week and 2j.6 outside New York,
little less than last week.
Imports Of merchandise still show de-
! crease Of 40 per cent. while exports of
! domestic products for three weeks are
/ > per cent larger than last year. The
! most encouraging feature Of the week
record is the continued decrease i'm num-
Der and Importance Of failures For the
third week of February liabilities thus
far reported are only S2,SSG3iG, and for
three weeks of the month only Sll .4204ls.
Of which SJ.045.S47 We're Of manufacturing
concerns. The number reported IN Feb
ruary is 2GO. against 2,OsO in January,
and the full Liabilities were probably less
than S15OO0.OOO. against S3O,946,49I IN
January In November and December
the amount exceeded SGOWO,0OO. For
the past week the failures have been
2Gl i'm the United States, against 2V6 last
year. and - in Canada. against 10 iast
year. scarcely any being of much I'M
portance. .,.
NEW YORK March. 2.-Bradslreets
to. morrow. March 30. will say:
Storms and cold weather south ana
routhwest. have checked the course or
business this week. while west and north
west brighter weather has had an oppo-
site effect No better illustration OF the
necessarily hating and IRE gular move
mont of the volume OF business al the
beginning of the Improvement may ne
found than the record OF the week. WIN
IT'S decreased volume Of trade ana re-
uewed unfavorable reports ION the south
and the Pacific coast. in contrast with
De more cheerful tone and Increased
sales at the important cities in the ONO
and Mississippi river valleys ana lh
fhe northwest Thus, while advices from
Providence. Philadelphia, Baltimore, ON
cinnatI. Nashville. Birmngham. Calves
ton. and San Francisco, are less incilned
than I'm late weeks to regard the situation
hopefully. those from Buffalo. lndianap-
oils. Louisville. Memphis, Mobile chi
cogo. ST. Louis. Kansas city, Omaha
Milwaukee. St Paul and Duluth al re-
port evidence OF distinct Improvement
The general industrial situation Is both
better and worse There are thirty re-
sumptons OF factories rel orted. contrast
ed with two shut-dOwns. Wages have
/ been reduced at thirteen establishments,
and thirteen strikes are announced.
Baltimore jobbers report unfaVorable
trade South, "A disappointing February
/ following January business. An imp Cve-
ment is noted at Augusta. Ca and az
/ New Orleans financial interests are await
/ ing with interest the settlement of the
sugar tariff. Louisville reports sales Of
seasonabe goods. and firm tobacco
/ market
modification Of the Richmond Ter
minal PLAN involving a reduction Of the
assessment, is favorably regarded.
Snow-Church uupanN.
The Snow-C Church Company's weekly
review of trade is as follows: The gen
/ eral trade for the week ending Saturday
! has shown no material advancement over
/ last week Jobbers are complaining of
decrease In the number of orders and
while they have been kept busy filling or
! ders for present and future shipments
| yet depression among the country
merchants is noticeable A continued
} hopeful feeling, however. exists. and
/ dealers are conhding i'm q better trade as
spring opens.
Inquiries for groceries, supplies. shoes.
and dry goods have been fair. while to-
| bacco dealers and manufacturers speak of
continued fair trade. and are also look
! ing Tor an Increase of business later on.
Norfolk trade reports fair business.
| with ipIira f.r