Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-14
BRADSTREET AND DUN.
The Industrial Situation Greatly I'm
provcd-Price Changes


NEW YORK, July 13.-Bradstreet's TO.
morrow Will say: The Industrial situation
has greatly improved. The failure Of the
American Railway Union boycott appears
complete. and the apathy with which or
ganized labor regarded the appeal to
strike in sympathy was surprising Rail-
road traffic is generally resumed. and the
number Of idle men has been heavily re-
duced. In other lines the situation is also
improved. The coke strike is conceded a
failure. and the operatives are returning
To work. The settlement of the potters'
strike at Trenton. after lasting six
months. means the unemployment Of
thousands. \ number OF small strikes are
reported, but there are 5000 fewer per-
sons idle because of strikes on Friday of
this week than last. The iron, steel. lum-
Der, shoe, wool. and cotton manufacturing
industries at the larger eastern and west
crn centres have made practically no ship
ments. and commercial travellers through
out the Central-W estern States have
generally been compelled TO leave the
road.
An EXAMINATION OF staple prices, COM
pared with the middle of 1891 following
the Barring embarrassment Indicates that
four has declined ~ per cent, wheat, II
per cent, and corn 81 per cent. while
oats are 30 per cent. higher than three
years ago. Pork and lard are respectively
IS and y per cent higher than three
years ago, while the changes in the. prices
of butter-stuf are significant. No such
radical movement is exhibited in the
prices for print cloths. sugar coffee, cot
ton. refined petroleum. and anthracite
coal. but raw wool has dropped 81 per
cent. pig iron, Bessemer and anthracite
- per cent. billets p per cent, and
bituminOus coal 80 per cent.
All the southern cities say business is
very dull The railway strike was d.
rcctly felt at Memphis. Nashville, An
glsta. Savannah, New Orleans. and Gal
weston. Georgia markets report turpen-
tine advanced in price, and New Orleans
says that sugar is not in special demand
and that little is doing. Rice is higher
and in request. Exceptionally good trade
prospects are reported from points IN
Texas.
r. c. Dun & Co.'S weekly review Of
trade tomorrow will say: When circum
stances are duly weighed the strength
and soundntss of business during the past
two weeks are amazing. With ihe second
city in the country in the hands Of q
lawless mob, besides many other cities
and towns, with railway traffic almost en-
tirely stopped over the vast area between
Toledo and the Pacific: with presidential
pr0clamations declaring the existence OF
an instruction, and the passionate answer
ordering half a million men 10 stop work
with a prolonged strike OF coal-mners not
fully ended in many States and witt
differences between the House and Senate
on the tariff question so wide that duties
affecting mining and manufacturing can
not be adjusted, industry and trade have
nevertheless, gone on with sublime con
fdence that the people and the govern
ment would soon restore order. The
shrinkaee Of business and the depression
Of values have been Unexpectedly small
the failures relatively unimpOrtant, anc
there are even signs in some industries OF
actual progress toward recovery from pre-
Iious troubles. 1t is a good foundation
for hope that the firm and wise actor
bv the government has been upheld by
the loyal people, that order has been gene
rally restored; that the blockade OF trans
portation has nearly ceased, and that tbs
Wage-earners have in the main refused tC
arrest industries at the dictaion Of
leaders.
Cotton manufacture has reduced produc
tiOn somewhat, though most of the mIil'
continue to pile up goods, and the stoct
OF print cloths is /. 0S0, 600 pieces. The dul
ness is commonly ascrlbed and is party
due 10 the disturbed conditions AT th'
West and South. The same cause effects
Woollen manufacture, but less directly
and the clothisfs have postponed Orders
80 long that their efforts to get merely
the goods they must have now give bet
ter tone Orders are small, but In number
such that fewer mills have closed since
July lst than was expected. The output
OF iron, which dropped from llO,2l0 ton:
10 62,5l7 weekly in May, because of th'
miners strike had only recovered 10 3D.
so tons July LIST, and IL is uncertain
whether II Is larger now, for numerous
western works have been stopped by TN
railroad blockade. The actual consump
zion In June was greater by gSi2 tons thai
the figures Of production indicate, th'
unsold stocks having been thus reduced
and the Iron Age reports production II
the first half Of 1894 as 2,f50,eV tons
against 2.5Gl, JS4 In the last half OF lSS
and 7Gq. GSj I'm the first half OF last year
stocks were reduced this year 26i, 46l tons
hut increased 2O5 100 during the last mai
~ 1Sq2 so that the actual consumption u
manufacturing has been 14.6 per cent
larger than in the last half Of 1888, though
but 60 per cent. Of the ordinary capacity.
Little can be judged from the presen
slack demand. as trade is 50 much inter
rlpted, but there has been rather an ac
tive week in orders at Chicago ana u
eastern markets, and the DEMAND Keep
the works fairly busy.
Foreign trade does not gam the export
being ia per cent. less ana the '"'p''"
40 per cent less than last year ~
,nercIaI paper and more satisfactory set
Elements OF maturing debts. The decreas'
,n failures exhibited last week Is fo'iowe'
hy good returns for July thus far' I'M
re,nrted liabilities In the first fse Day
were only yNf.57i, though mall aem s,
reeo mack some western returns I'M
number OF failures during the pasl wee'
has been 2s7 in the United States. asal's ;
s-4 last year: and In Canada ~. against