The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-10
BUSINESS RATHER DULL.
Better Weather Stimulates Retail
Trade at Some Cities.


the Gross Earnings of Eighty-Three
Railroads During February.
New York, March .-Bradstreet's TO
morrow will say: The comparatively
less favorable report as to the volume of
sales and distribution of general merchan-
disc emphasized last week remains, with
some exceptions. practically unchanged.
Bright and warmer weather has stimu-
lated retail lines at a number of cities.
The seven months report OF the foreign
trade of the country indicates decreased
purchases of chemicals, hides, silks and
other textiles, leather, iron and wine, ac-
counting for the decrease Of % per cent
in value compared with seven months in
1923
Increased exports of corn, coal, cop
per, cotton seeds, leather and spirits ex-
plain. on the other hand, the increase in
the value of domestic shipments of per
cent.
EARNINGS OF RAILROADS.
THE gross earnings of eighty-three
railroads in FEBRUARY show a loss Of 1876
per cent. compared with FEBRUARY 1893,
that being little greater than in Janu
airy, when il was u 4 per cent less than
IN that month the year before. Southern
and southwestern roads present heavier
proportionate losses, the granger lines do
ing better than in January.
While, wheat, Indian corn and oats ad-
vanced 14al&4 cents in price respectively
this week, and cotton and sugar re
manned unchanged. domestic fleece have
again shaded, cutting Australian woods
out of the market so far as competition in
prices is concerned.
Pig and shaped iron, steel billets and
rails and iron ore have also been shaded
again, IN some instances making now low
records.
LOANS OF BANKS.
"Chicago advises that the loans of the
national banks there have increased
$1,000, 600 and the total deposits $4,000, 900
since Decem Der All the New York
clearing house banks report loans 49,, 600
600 heavier since December and the de-
posits S25, 600, 600 heavier.
Business at Nashville is smaller than
year ago.
Memphis reports moderate gains in
the sales of plantation supplies. hardware
and dry goods South Atlantic coast
cities report no new features within the
week, which is true as well at Mobile,
Birmingham and Galveston.
New Orleans complains that slow pay
ments of sugar bounties are having an IN
favorable influence on general trade
Relatively the most favora BILE report
OF the south, as heretofore, comes from
Augusta"
THE FUTURE BEHIND A VEIL.
r. @. Dun a. Co. S review of trade TO-
morrow will say: Evidences of present
improvement in business multiply, but
confidence in future improvement does
not seem TO increase. There is more
business, and a larger production by in
dustries, for the season has arrived when
greater activity is necessary If dealers
stocks are to be replenished, and those
who cannot make calculations beyond a
few months are the more anxious
to crowd as much trade as they safely
can into those months. In some branches
of distribution, however. there are indi-
cations of a diminishing demand for
goods, and the evident preference TO me
dunn and low priced articles, with the re-
duction in wages and family expendi-
lures, lead many to feel somewhat less
confident that business will soon recover
Undertakings beyond a short time are not
made with great freedom. and in spite of
larger demand prices of manufactured
goods tend downward
IRON AND STEEL.
"The most distinct gain is in iron and
steel manufacture. The output of pig
iron March / was 10, 1866 tons, having in
creased 10 per cent. during the month,
though it is still SIS per cent. less than a
year ago. IL is also stated that some
other furnaces have gone into blast since
March /, and that unsold stocks have
made practically no increase in February,
so that the actual consumption
In all branches of manufacture
is at least ten per cent. greater than in
November, December or January. Yet
the prices are lower, steel bulets S1525 at
Pittsburg and plates Sl.15 at Philadel-
phia, the lowest ever known. Moderate
but important contracts are reported here,
and at Philadelphia. Business in finished
products is not as active as it was two or
three weeks ago AT Pittsbutg, the
market was weaker in spite of fairly
large orders for structural iron, and en-
couraging conditions in the production of
wire, rods and nails. The trade in iron
bars is very unsatisfactory, rails are fiat,
and with larger production of coke
contracts are made at as low price as
ever.
BOOTS AND SHOES.
THE shipments of boots and shoes
from the east are las per cent. smaller
than year ago for the same weeks and
the purchases are still mainly of medium
or low priced goods.
''ln textile manufactures and dry goods
there is increased activity and replenish-
meuts of stocks, as is natural at this sea
son. But the demand thus far falls much
short of expectations, and it character in
dicates great economy in consumption A
reduction in Wamsutta sheetings and in
Carriers fancy prints to Al cents indi-
Gates the Judgment of leading
concerns that the markets re-
quire more stimulating than usual
In woolens, also, manufacturers are in
creasing production, mainly in a tentative
way, or on orders which are little more
than sufficient to test the market. But
the sales of wool at the three chief mar
kets for the week have been 5, 15O, 300
pounds, against 2, 59S. $50 for the same
week last year, and the past five weeks
the decrease has been only - per cent,
which is a marked improvement, in part
due TO the fact that the mills having any
orders are buying at once what wool they
expect to need for months to come.
THE VOLUME OF TRADE.
1.-THE volume of domestic trade shown
by clearings decreases for the week only
ia per cent. outside of New York, and
$40 per cent. here, compared with last
year In foreign trade the changes are
also for the better, the exports having
been large, and for four weeks IA pei
per cent larger than last year, while the
decrease in imports for February was
81 per cent. Thus custom revenue does
not improve, and for the week has
been 81 per cent less than last
year, the decrease in internal revenue
being Is per cent. Money is weak, with