The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-28

as shown by reports from more than
fifty important distributing centres. a
specially depressing influence is the strike
OF $4,000 bituminous coal and coke opera
tvcs in twelve States. Accumulated
stocks Of bituminous were about an aver
age for the season, but are not likely to
last beyond the middle of May. Already
the record Of furnaces banking fires. fac
tories closing doors. lake vessels laying
up and mills throughout the Central
and Central Western States shutting
down In consequence of a lack or pros
pective lack of fuel. is attracting atten-
ton
TWO HUSDRrD THorsAND sTRIKEIa
This. apparently the largest single in
dustrial strike taking place In this couri-
try. Is reported caused by efforts of ope-
rators TO raise prices by repeated cutting
OF miners wages. Complaining the situa-
ton IS the efforts Of about thirty mines
10 supply the demand for coal. who Will
not strike. The total numbe Of Indus
trial and other employees on strike now,
with those idle by reason OF strikes, Is
10000. OF which nearly 20 per cent. are
coal miners and coke operatives. 1000
textile workers. 1000 In pottery and kin
dred industries. 5000 among building
trades, and 1000 railroad employees. only
two cities OF thirty-hve reporting In
Central. Western and Northwestern
States report material Improvement in
general trade this week-Indianapolis and
Kansas City. Even at those points the
gain * slight.
DULL IL TIE SOUTH.
in the South the business situation is
marked by quiet, even dullness, an ex-
ceptlon being noted in a better tone TO
trade in several lines at New Orleans.
Drought in the vegetable region near
Jacksonville has checked shipments and
affected the local money market. Atlanta
furniture factories have shut down Tor
six weeks, and other industrial establish
ments are working on short time.
some want work - - q Quit Work.
NEW YORK. April A.-R. G. Dun &
Co.'S Weekly Review Of Trade tomorrow
viii say:
When accounts of great strikes and
labor disturbances crowd all newspapers
il is idle to look for much Improvement
in business. The bituminous coal miners
quit work last Saturday in larger num-
bers than was expected, and the coke
workers at once renewed with greater
unammity the struggle recently unsuc-
cessful. While these great bodies Of men,
hf0AItD III NlOIlTDlA4LE RAAC ~
strikes in building trades. in silk. wooden
and cotton mills. in Alabama, iron work.
and on western railroads, are refusing to
work. there are other thousands marching
to Washington who claim that they seek
work in vain. Both classes are engaged
in making business worse. because II
was bad already. That every week Of
idleness for so many men must apprecia-
bly, lessen the aggregate power 10 pur-
chase OF .abor is evident. but in spite OF
all, some improvement still appears. The
iron and steel works in regions where
bituminous coal or coke Is used as fuel
may be seriously interrupted If the strug-
gle is much prolonged, but the immediate
effect is TO give a better look TO prices
of some products in those regions. while
eastern works feel a somewhat larger de-
mand.
ALABAMA PIG IRON AT s11.50.
Southern freights to New York being
fifty cents lower, pig iron from Alabama
is offered at sl1.50, and rails of light
sections are sold. it is stated, below $50
at mill. while at Chicago business halts,
and bar iron is down TO one cent, though
plates and beams are slightly stronger.
Barbed wire at P%ittsburg is quoted at
$40 and wire rods at $3.50. though billet
dill d EtAllt HUI - 49,
phia notes increased demand in that re-
gion. About two-thirds OF the working
force is employed.
Payments through all clearinghouse
were 20.4 per cent. smaller than a year
ago. and outside New York 1873 per cent.
smaller. but prices Of commodities, now
averaging nearly IA per e lower than
a year ago, account for over half of the
change. The volume Of foreign trade does
- .,..g.f.1Ir altar nWnnrfU hanHa for
the month being 10 per cent. larger than
last year. while imports at New York
have been AT per cent. smaller. The
decline in customs receipts, indicating the
decrease in dutiable imports, is 40 per
cent.
MONEY CONTINUES TO ACCUMULATE.
No enlargement Of commercial loans APP
pears and money continues to accumulate
here. though in smaller amounts this
week. This state of facts clearly indi-
Gates the general depression Of trade and
Industries, but domestic exchanges have
so far changed that abatement Of the
flow Of money hitherto is expected. Only
81, 900, 900 Of gold goes out this week. at
present accounts. and there are no indi-
cations OF important foreign operations
during the week in American securities.
Considerable exchange is being drawn on
account of Americans about to visit Eu-
rope. as usual at this season.
II FAILURES.
The decrease in liabilities Of firms fail
ing still continues. and the aggregate
reported for the third week In April was
only $2.792, 462, and for three weeks of
April, 81, 9SS. 5Ss, of which s2.Sl0,1 1874 were
of manufacturing, and 1854 ,o95 of trading
concerns. The failures have been very
equally divided as TO sections. the East
having the larger number, with liabilities
Of $2.277. 600: the South. S2.572.00O. and the
West. s.. 900. The failures this week
have been $50 in the United States. 2s
last year; for the first time in many
months showing a decrease. and in Can
ada. 26, against % last year. The list
includes none of great Importance.