Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-03-10
BUSINESS IMPROVES.
There Is IL Larger Demand For the Furnace
Output han For Three Months Previous.
Wooden Manufacturers 4 re Increasing
Product ion! ailures ARE. Fewer.

There Is a Larger Demand For the Furna &c
Output : han For Three Months Previous
Wooden manufacturers Are Increasing
Production-!u ilures Are Fewer.
New YORK, March l0.--R. &. Dun x Co. 5
Weekly RCriew of Trade, out today, says:
Evidences of present Improvement in bust
ness multiply, but confidence in future inn
proNemrnt does not seem to increase.
There is more business and Il larger pro
ductiun by industries, for the season has
arrived when greater activity is necessary
if dealers stocks are to be repleniShed. and
those who cannot make calculations be-
yOnd few months are the most anxious
to crowd as much trade as they safely can
into those months.
In some branches of distribution, how
ever, there are indications OF diminishing
demand for goods. and the evident prefer
ence for medium and low priced articles,
with the known reduction in wages and
family expenditures. lead many to feel
somewhat less confident that business will
soon recover its former volume. Under
takings reaching beyond Il short time are
not made with greater freedom, and in
spite of Il larger present demand prices of
manufactured goods tend downward.
Iron and Steel.
The most distinct gain is in iron and
steel manufacture. The output of pig
iron on March ! was ITO. 166 tons, having
increased 10 per cent during the month,
though ii is still 37.S per cent less than q
year ago. 1t is also stated that some other
furnaces have gone into blast since March
! and that unSOld stocks have made prac-
tically no increase in February, so that the
actual consumption in all branches of
the manufacture is at least 10 per cent
greater than in November. December or
january. Yet prices are lower. steel bill
lets being S15.35 at Pittshurg and plates
Sl.15 at Philadelphia--the lowest ever
known.
Some moderate but no important con-
tracts are reported here, and at Philadel-
phia business in finished products is not
as active as it was two or three weeks ago.
At Pittsburg markets are weaker in spite
of fairly large orders for structural iron
and encouraging conditions in the produc-
ton of wire. rods and nails.
In textile manufactures and dry goods
there are increased activity and replenish-
ment of stocks, as is natural at this season.
But the demand thus far falls much short
of expectations. and its character indicates
great economy in consumption. \ reduc-
ton i'll Wamsutta sheetings and in Gar
ner fancy prints to 4 cents indicates the
Judgment OF leading concerns that markets
require more stimulating than usual.
In wOolens also manufacturers are in
creasing production, mainly in Il tentative
way or on orders which are little more than
sufficient to test the market. But the sales
of wool at three chief markets for the week
have been $3.50, 800 pounds, against j, 59S,
$50 for the same week last year, and in the
past five weeks the decrease has been only
II per cent, which is marked improve
ment in part due to the fact that the mills
having any orders are buying at once what
wool they expect to need for months to
come.