The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-21
BUSINESS SKIES BRIGHTER
Strikes About the Only Cloud on The
Horizon.

Prices of Staples Inclined to a Higher
Level-The Reports From Southern
Cities Encouraging-An Increase in
the Distribution of Products to Con-
sumers-The Distribution of Pro
ducts to Consumers Larger, But
New Orders Still Restricted.
New York, April -Bradstreet's to-
morrow will say with the exception
of the prospect for a still further extern
sion of strikes and other labor disturb
ances, no plainly retarding influence is
manifesting itself So far as learned,
there are about D additional strikes, in
volving q 900 people. This brings the
total number Of those now on strike, or
idle because of strikes, up to $4,000.
The week also furnishes II shut downs of
important Industrial establishments, more
than Offset Ibv assumptions at 81 others,
which furnish employment to 5000
operatives, although important estab-
lishments announce reduction of wages.
'FThe widely heralded announcement
that 100000 coal miners will strike to-day,
has occasioned uneasiness among manu-
facturers at many central and western
cities, owing.to the prospective scarcity Of
fuel.
TENDENCY OF PRICES.
"The tendency of the prices of staples
has been upward in most instances, nota-
bly, in breadstuffs and produce, leather
iron and steel, rice, corn, oats, pork and
lard, while the reverse is true as to the
prices of hogs. wheat and sugar.
Cotton quotations remain practically
unchanged.
Among southern cities no improve
ment or change within the week is re-
ported from Charleston, Nashville, At
lanta, Birmingham and Little Rock, at
all of which points generally, business is
quiet.
''Mobile claims trade is fair in most
lines, Memphis specifying groceries and
plantation supplies and Chattanooga gro
Series.
AT Savannah, naval stores are firmer,
and Thursday recorded the largest days
sales of turpentine ever reported.
Jacksonville reports heavy straw
berry crop, and prospects for a good sum
Ener trade in that state.
There is an improved demand for gro
ceries and produce at New Orleans, as
we'll as for rice.
pleasant weather has stimulated job
bling in all lines at Galveston, as at all
other Texas points. and at Augusta, Ga,
poets bright, while dividends have been
declared by two coston factories"
MORE PEOPLE ABLE TO BUY.
r. G. Dun g. Company's weekly review
Of trade, tomorrow, will say: "Exten-
sive storms checked improvement in bust
ness only for a time, and numerous
strikes have not yet arrested it. The
distribution of products to consumers
seems larger, for more people are earn
to buy. But is less clear that the increase
of working force continues, or that or
ders for products will further expand
The improvement thus far realized is
based on actual increase in orders for
consumption, but part of this was to
cover belated demands for the spring sea
son. A considera BILE portion of the indus
trial force is still unemployed; and with
wages much lower than year ago con-
SUMPTION is not as large.
Payments through all the clearing
houses for the week are 27.2 per cent. less
than last year, 1916 at New York, and 22.9
elsewhere.
NEW ORDERS RESTRICTED.
NEW orders for future distribution are
still materially restricted by uncertainty
about the action at Washington and
about the extent and outcome of the labor
difficulties.
ne SbElhb VI bll6 NOh6 workers. UQOuRn
virtually over. still affects the output and
deliveries. Strikes in the building trades
at many cities restrict the employment
of labor and the demand for materials.
and during the past week there have been
numerous strikes in textile and
other manufacturing works, most of
them because the restoration Of wages to
rates formerly paid is not yet conceded.
MUST MAKE CONCESSIONS.
"Most of the recovery realized in bust
ness has been made possible by the con-
sent Of workers to accept lower wages
for time, and if they insist on the
restoration of wages before consumption
has restored prices, many works must
stop.
THE great strike threatened by bitumi-
nous coal miners and strikes of associated
employees on some railroads, make the fu-
ture less hopeful.
Out of twenty-nine textile and metal
working concerns which stopped during
the past week, about a third closed be-
cause Of trouble about wages. Otherwise
the number resuming work or increasing
force, which was twenty-five, would have
been larger.
Enough orders have been taken in
iron and steel to keep employed for a time
the works now in operation, but this
week no definite increase is seen New
gu A1OuoA FNOlh az tuG NtSb lS limited,
and new business at the east hardly
makes up for the orders filled
Rails move slowly. and the completion
OF orders for wire, nails, rods and barbed
wire is followed by weakness in prices.
SALES OF BEssEMER IRON.
1.-THE great sales of Bessemer iron at
Pittsburg have been at such low prices.
about 100, 900 tons going at little over $40,
with part below SO, as to suggest that
the expected demand for this material
has not been realized
In few grades of wooden goods. lower
prices are quoted, and in none an adj
vance, although strikes for higher wages
are not infrequent. The attempt to ad
vance print cloths has been followed by a
slight decline, and while the cotton bust
ness has not materially changed dimen-
sions, the tone is rather less confident.
Cotton has changed scarcely frac-
ton, though the receipts from plantations
have been larger and the exports smaller
this week than year ago, and men con
slider the stories of decreased acreage en-
titled to little confidence. Spinners are
not taking largely and the supply of cot
ton is enough for the worlds maximum
production.
EXPORTS OF GOLD.
1T is expected that about So, SOC, 600 gold
will 60 abroad Saturday, owing to
British investments in the Paris loan"
which is another way of saying that there