Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-26
BRAOSTReET AND DUN.
Business Dull, But Volume OF Trade quite
Large for the Season.

NEW YORK. May 25.-Bradstreets to-
morrow will say:
The unfayorable conditions prevailing In
commercial and industrial circles through
out the country, together with the pros
pect for no material improvement du-
ring the summer, marks the present sea-
son as probably the dullest relatively
for twenty years. At no time since the
panic and the business depression mani
Tested themselves last year have reports
as to the volume Of sales OF mer-
chandise. the manufacture of staple goods
and the indisposition of merchants gen
orally to buy except for absolutely I'M
mediate wants been so pronounced ana
SO general throughout the country as
during the past few weeks
Rsin-storms have exercised an UNA
vorable influence on business this week
at almost all points east OF the Missls-
sippi river. No one OF the larger east
ern cities reports an Improvement In
any line, with the exception OF the de-
mand for shoes at Boston and Philadel-
phia. All business has fallen of at PITTS
burg: at Buffalo the situation Is the
dullest for years. and Baltimore travel
lers report the country merchants as not
buying anything except what Is neces-
sary TO meet actual sales to customers.
The eastern woollen- and cotton-mills re-
port conditions and outlook quite unfa-
vorable.
The daily new spaper press reports OF a
soft-coal famine this week and a shut
down OF general manufacturing opera
,io1s prove without foundation. The
resent supplies OF coal at the leading
eastern. central, western. and lake cities
viii last from ten 10 sixty days Coal
from kentucky and West Virginia mines
ami from other sources. and substitu-
lions Of anthracite, oil. wood, and natu-
raj gas for fuel have prevented the
famine anticipated. The total number OF
Industrial employees idle as a result OF
coal scarcity Is placed at 5000, and the
total number idle owing To the strike,
which now appears likely to fail. is 10000.
An encouraging Industrial feature Is the
probable settlement OF next seasons Iron
and steel wage scale without a strike.
Advices from the South present a con-
tinuous report OF excessive dulness, eX-
cept that therer are gains in sales OF
plantation supplies at Memphis. advanc-
ing prices for naval stores at Savannah,
and some activity In fruits at Mobile
Jacksonville reports that vegetables need
rain badly. and Augusta that the crops
are damaged by cold. and the trade out
look Is less favorable.
r. q. Dun & Co.'S weekly review OF
trade will say tomorrow: Storms and
foods prolonged strikes, and large ex-
ports of gold have done their utmost
this week to give business a vacation
But the wants unsatisfed during the past
year. belated and much lessened. and
yet greater than those OF any other ma
zion. have caused a volume OF trade
quite large for the season.
While the iron industry especially, and
many others to some extent, have been
restricted by the scarcity of coal and coke
the number OF works resuming has beeH
greater than the number stopping from
other causes. But II Is a symptom not
to be overlooked that the demand fol-
manufactured products, instead Of 10.
creasing, appears for the moment rather
smaller than before, and Indifference on
thu part of buyers is shown In the cam
collation. OF orders hitherto given. I,
Is waiting season. but the disposition
70 walt this year Is much intensified
The works in operation are fairly busy
In closing up orders for belated sprine
demand, but there IL even more shrinkagt
in orders for the future than was noticed
iaSt SVai az tHc piSSutSSf Vi cOlllHR uul
ness.
| There appears to be no increased de.
mand for cotton goods. and the manufac
turers have agreed that the action Of
| print cloths, which now sell at 2.69 cents
for CAS- must presently be checked by
suspendlng production.
Exchanges through clearing houses com
pare fayorably for the week, being only
| Isl per cent. smaller than last year
| Failures diminish In importance, TIL,
amount Of liabilities for this week ir
| May being only s2.20il 1883. and for tn.
three weeks, N,sS6.9I2, OF which $3.50, 6s
were of manufacturing, and $5025.075 O
| trading concerns. The number of fail
ures reported this week is 1873 In IN,
United States. against 259 last year, an,
In Canada. Is. against IA last year. anC
again there are. noted scarcely any o.
| Importance.