Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-13
EFFECTS OF POLITICS ON BUSINESS.

The General Condition Of Business I'm
proved Despite the Election Excitement
The Snow-Church Companys weekly re-
view OF trade says:
Political excitement In many Of the
States causes a natural slackening In
some kinds Of business. But on the whole
business Indications are rather more IA
vorable than they were a week ago. Quite
a number Of mills have gone into opera
ton. and the demand for products. II not
equal to that of prosperous years. Is bet
ter than IL has been most OF the time this
year. The prices Of farm products do not
improve much. and there are still some
strikes to resist reduction Of wages 30
that the purchasing power Of the people
cannot have materially increased. but
there Is a more hopeful spirit which
prompts greater activity. On the other
hand the record Of the past transactions
Is somewhat less favorable than of late.
Payments through the principal clearing
houses throughout the country show de-
crease compared with last year. and a
decrease compared with the same week
In 1892. the decrease for four weeks being
29.8 per cent.
Cotton has sold at 5.H cents for middling
uplands, and the large receipts at such
low prices Indicate clearly that the crop
will at least be close to the largest. II not
the largest, ever produced. The anticl-
pated settlement OF difficulties at Fail
River has not been realized, and at pres
ent good many spindles and looms are
idle. But strikes are temporary; more
lasting influence Is the large accumulation
Of cotton in the worlds markets, the
stock of America In sight now exceeding
100000 bales. 1t Is interesting that in
spite of the low price Of the principal
southern crop manufacturers and whole
sale dealers report rather more Improve
ment In trade with the South than with
any other section. The wheat market IL
a quarter lower. and nothing appears 10
Justify any important change.
Corn is higher. and It Is noteworthy that
at the same time pork Is Is cents lower;
lard. S5 cents per 100 pounds. and hogs 40
cents lower The contrast indicates how
little the provision market depends at
present on natural relations on supply and
demand.
Industrial accounts are on the whole
more encouraging. The boot and shoe In
dustry leads In improvement.
While the fall trade Is near an end,
most Of the eastern makers Of cheap goods
are crowded with orders covering from
one to three months In advance. but con-
Germs making goods of better grades have
as a rule little business ahead. The lea
Their trade is smaller. and for the first
time in many weeks receipts OF union
crop slightly exceeded sales. The demand
for India-rubber is fairly good. new para
fine being 60 to n cents. In iron and
steel the West shows weakness. while
eastern markets show more encourage
ment Nothing OF consequence Is doing In
rails. the deliveries for the year to Octo-
Der LIST being only SIC. 900 tons. much below
ordinary requirements for renewals alone.
In structural work some moderate con-
tracts are reported, but bar iron is ex-
tremely dull. and II Is stated that the
low prices reported last week-s5 cents for
iron and q for steel-have been shaded In
some transactions. There is decline In
wire, $3.50 being quoted for galvanized
barbed, and So. for wire rods. The best
feature is that the heavy increase In the
output Of pig does not yet seem to over
load tho market, and there are rather
less signs OF pressure 10 sell than OF late.
In textile industries the situation Is pc
culiar. and in many respects perplexing.
II Is undeniable that orders for goods are
on the whole diminishing, and retail trade
does not yet prompt such supplemental
orders as were expected. but a good many
works have found orders enough to start
up for O time. some having business for
several months.
II Is still. as Il has been for some
months. q very encouraging fact that the
volume OF commercial failures II small.
Reports for the three weeks Of October
cover liabilities OF only $.639.7i1. OF which |
y. e29.6u were Of manufacturing, and |
$2.&!.50 Of trading concerns. The failures |
for the week were 81 in the United States. |
against $50 last year. and 81 In Canada. |
against A last year.