Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-19
6~RADSTREeT M DUN.
Business stni Depressed But the Com.
mercIal World sonDd.

mercial World sound.
NEW YORK, May ts.-Brads,rects 10.
morrow Will say: This week l. the third
in succession In which there has been no
material gain I'm the volum. Of business
and no gain In the prospects for trade
in the future. The continued uncertainty
regarding tariff legislation restricts
trading In futures" In all staple lines.
This il largely responsible for the -
duction In the volume OF bank clearings.
The general industrial situation does
not Improve. although the striking New
York and Paterson silk weayers. who
have been out three months and have lort
over N,&O,oO In wages, have gone back
TO work. The coal conference AZ Cleyc-
land failed to settle the miners strike.
and the situation az 10 fuel supplies con-
tinues TO grow worse. Shutdowns OF H.
duStrial concerns. restricted transpOrta-
ton operations, and seizures by railroad
companies OF coat on track are increasing.
large quantities Of foreign coal have been
.ngaged for delivery on the Atlantic sea-
board. The number OF idle men through
the strikes stlil remains az about 2G0co.
Trade Is slow In all Hines at Philadelphia
and Baltimore. at non ~ which - tho
trade for the near fDture encouraging.
At the South. such centres rs Charles
ton. Nashville. Memphis. Atlanta. Blr-
mingham. Mobile. New orleans. and cal
weston report the jobhing trade prscti.
cally at a s,andstill. there having been
no Improvement within a week. anil tho
demand sluggish. AZ Augusta. drugs arr
relatively most active; at Chattanooga.
the sales OF hardware are improved. n
at Savannah naya stores are hrm"r n
higher.
X. o. Dun a. CO.'S weekly review u
trade will say tomorrow: The obstacles
to business do not lessen. Yet the re-
Operative force OF the country II e. great
that people are constantly amazed a the
volume Of business being transacted. the
tonnage being transported. the number
of works resuming operations. AMI the
general soundness OF trade. notwiihstand.
ing influences which In any other lanl
would produce dir, disaster.
Some industries are clearly doing bet
ter. Among these are the boot and shoe
trade. the women's dress goods Industries,
and wool sales. The excessive stocks AMI
low prices OF cotton, a misfortune u
rower keep many mills I'm operation
which would otherwise stop. but attempts
to advance some kinds OF goods hays
brough. no better trade.
So n real calamity, the long STRIKE "a
miners. results In better prices for Bes-
semer iron. steel. and many st~i
products. and 10 iron-makirg concerns Of
the East partly compensstcs for tho over
whelming advantage which the rf,,sburs
and Ohio regions had secured IN tho
fierce competition for some months.
Foundry and mill-iron are In abundant
supply. witt little change I'm price. and
though the demand for nnishe1 goods -
not large. firmer prices appear wher'
there might be- demoralization n part ~
the works were not forced To- close. Al
Chicago also the market ha9 been tho
best for months. with structural Iron and
plates SITTER. At Pittsburg the demand
has raised Bessemer iron s. per ton,
foundry iron sells at 81. wire nails have
advanced to sos. and there haS been
heavy buying Of black sheets and barhe1-
wire. But 1t is feared that more Of tho
mills must suspend II the strike COM
tinues.
The %soundness II the commercial world
Is shown in the diminishing importance
OF failures. the liabilities reported FOR the
second week OF May amounting u only
81 .s31. 5os. OF which 81. fyo.1i2 were Of trading
and si32. 63 OF manufacturing concerns.
The failures this week have been 20 In
the United States. against 21 last year.
and u in Canada. against II last year.