The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-12-29
THE BUSINESS OUTLOOK.

From Bradstreet's state of Trade"
General trade presents the usual holt
day characteristics. A majority of whole
sale dealers and manufacturers are De
4 ginning or nave finished taking account
Of stock or arranging settlements. for
the new year. Main activity has been
! for Christmas specialties In retail nues,
I The practical conclusion of holiday
trade has brought about a moderate re-
action, and this emphasizes the dull
ness noted in preceding weeks.
Jobbers claim the outlook for trade
during the late winter and early spring
is for very conservative buying. But IN
some lines, notably heavy textiles, re
cent cold weathsr has stimulated safes,
and reports from retailers west ana
south indicate that stocks are low, al
most beyond precedent. This is taken
as indicative of a better merchandise
eral years past. Travelling statesmen,
with few exceptions, are off the road.
Merchants generally incline to the view
that 1895 promises a favorable business,
although, as indicated, opinion is divid-
ed as to whether renewed activity Will
mark the early months of the coming
year or not. Boston reports Sf,60O,oUo
pounds of wool in stock at that city,
compared with Il, 500.0 900 one year ago,
the decrease being exclusively in domes-
tic varieties.
Industries are shut down., in many in
stances TO make repairs or take stock,
and. owing to extremely low prices Tor
industrial staples. the wages movement
/ tends downward. Quotations for staple
merchandise show more firmness, with
sugar, cotton, wheat. corn, steel, naval
stores, tobacco, tin and Upper praca
! ticalIy unchanged in price. Oats, among
cereals. records a fractional advance,
while print cloths and other staple cot
tons are lower, in conformity with re-
suits of recent auctions, and pork and
lard with increasing supplies of lower
grades of live stock at western mar
kets. Coffee, too, is depressed, and there
are rumors of contracts for iron and
steel at a shade under last weeks quo
~tations. although unconfirmed.
Reduced stocks of American available
supplies of wheat, Notwithstanding re-
increase, tend to strengthen wheat, but
the surprisingly large total of that
cereal Ciour included as wheaD sent
abroad last week is fully offset by the
week, the total, both coasts of the United
States, being 1874, 600 bushels, compared
with 3,554,G00 bushels in the previous
week, 2.0S6. 900 bushels in the week a year
ago., $4,000 bushels two years ago,
3, JOG, 900 bushels three years ago, and as
contrasted with 1,031. 900 bushels for the,
last week in the calendar year of 1880.
The speculative stock market is de-
void of activity or interest. Foreign and
outside participation have both disap-
peared, and m~anipulative operators find
the market too narrow for any move
ment. Prices have been firm, and the
influence of the dissolution of the gov
eminent DOnQ SynQlc1Je, lnOuSn DaSeu
on the action of the Treasury, has not
disturbed stock values. Anthracite coal
stocks are weak. Bonds are neglected,
with liquidation in Reading juniors.
Foreign exchange is very dull, but tends
higher on the advance of sterling rates
on the continent. Demand sterling is
4SS13@4SS%. Silver is dull and frae-
tionally lower. Gold engagements for
shipment to France on Saturday amount
to $3.50, 900.
From r. C. Dun & Cos Weekly Review.
Commercial failures in 1894, already
reported to G. r. Dunn & Co., num-
Der lf,2S2 against 1922 last year, with
liabilities of 1853, 23S, 4N4 against SS46, 49,
$50 last year. Next week the final re-
port for 1894 will include about 400 more
failures, with liabilities of about $4,000
COS. From. these accounts banks, bank
ers, financial and transporting companies
are excluded Manufacturing failures
already number 2,756 against 3,422 last
year. but liabilities are only s64, 491, 2S7
failures already number 1874 .gainst H.
512 last year, but liabilities are only $751;
S99, 057 against $3.50, 062, 1888 last year. The
statement by sections on the next page
defaulted liabilities in the Middle and
Central Northern States. one-half in the
West and Southwest, and a third in
other sections.
Wages actually paid in November
are compared today with working hours
in establishments throughout the coun-
tiy, anu HI dDOul ully DTdIGHG6 OI III
dustry, the average being 1854 hours
| per hand this year, 21S.4 last wear. and
1892 in 1892. The wages paid per hour
We're IL per cent. less than last year,
the hands employed in establishments
reporting were S.53 per cent. more than
last year, but 1902 per cent. less than
IN 1892, the total wages paid in these es-
Establishments in November was 1888 per
cent. more than in November,
1898, but IN per cent. less
the decrease in purchasing power of the
working force is found to be due mainly
to decrease in number of hands and hours
of work, rather than to reduction of
ages paid per hour. The details on the
next page merit examination.
Holiday trade has scarcely met -ex-
pectations. Purchases have been numer-
Gus, but smaller han usual in amount
and more confined to needful articles,
thus anticipating ordinary trade. The
volume of business represented by Clear
larger than last year, but 21.8 per cent.
less than the year before. and the daily
average for December has been II per
cent more than last year, but 25.2 less
h the year before. In spite of some
sensational losses on western roads, the
earnings of all railroads reporting for
December are 80 per cent. greater thar
last year, but 11.6 per cent. less than in
1892, and the east bound tonnage from
Chicago for three weeks has been 1875, 2OS
against 219,946 last year. But in west
CaiA tSAiiioS0 dAiu Ou sOulu6IH lines the
comparison is more favorable. 1t affects
other important industries that railroads
have taken only 100000 tons of rails for
renewals this year, against twice as
much ordinarily required. M
Money is still coming to this city in
q steady stream, and exports of gold
for the week are expected to be about
900, 600. The dissolution of the bond
syndicate, on the ground that the pend
ing currency bill has destroyed the mar
ket for bonds, is the most important
event in financial circles, and is liable
to have results of some consequence.
For commercial loans the demand has
slightly increased, though only as might
be expected at this season..
DITTMAR-ALLEN.
Fashionable Wedding In the Church