The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-09-08
BUSINESS OUTLOOK BRIGHTER.
Encouraging Reports From the
Mercantile Agencies.
The Past Week Has Had no Unfavorable
Features Except the Cotton MIL
strike-The Forest Fires VIII Provo u
Draw Baok-Southern cities Report
Favorable Features.


NEW YORK, Sept. 7.-Bradstreet's to-
morrow will say: Special kilograms to
Bradstreet's from most important dis
tribution districts make it plain that in
mercantile lines trade Is fairly active.
An increased number OF interior buyers
at large cities within the week has
served to stimulate the feeling of hope
tulness and aside from the cotton mill
htrike in New England and distress in
the Northwest due to forest fres the
i7eek has not brought unfavorable feat
nres. Staple prices tend upward ex-
cept for wool.
Philadelphia now reports the presence
OF country purchasers, particularly OF
dry goods, and a better demand for
cotton yarns. The relatively more salts
factory business situation South than
elsewhere is indicated by our reports
from Nashville that jobbers are sur
prised and pleased at the favorable
financial situation Of Southern mer-
Chants. Baltimore merchants have
made like reports and add good collec.
lions.
All Southern cities report favorable
features, Birmingham with increased
sales and unimproved collections the
fewest. Galveston announces the best
weeks trade OF the year, and Augusta
that heavy cotton receipts have slim
rlated trading in general lines. Sales
| OF hardware at Chattanooga in July and
August aggregated more than in the
prece ding two months or the like two
months last year.
Savannah, Atlanta. Memphis and
Charleston report fair volume of bust.
fnr hi nF fhn
prospects bright In the region tribu.
tary to Nashville it is pointed out that
the tendency of prices generally is up.
ward but that Northern dealers prevent
advances by Offering goods at what are
called panic prices"
Like an April Day.
New York, Sept 7.-R. &. Dun g.
Co. s weekly review of trade tomorrow
will say: The business outlook is much
like an April day, with alternate clouds
and sunshine In some branches strong
improvement still continues whilo in
others trado is diminishing. In the ad.
| justment to now conditions such con
tlicting signs are to be expected and the
more because the deferred business,
which had awaited settlement, was by
no means evenly distributed.
| For some time to come, it is likely,
conditions in different trades, and even
In different minor branches Of the same
trade, may vary widely. Strikes lessen
for the time the working force perhaps
as much as it is otherwise increased,
but the strike of garment makers
spreads so rapidly that an early end is
considered certain, while tho strikes in
cotton mills have advanced prices so
much that settlement is thought not
distant.
a n n rnn not Inn vol, N.1fk 4
exact measure exists, but payments
through clearing houses for the fiscal
week of September were IL per cent
greater than last year, though 29.7 per
cent. smaller than in 1892. Perhaps
settlements on past business affect the
record, but it also appears that COM
mercial loans are not increasing and are
limited, while Western demands for
moving the crops are much smaller than
usual, indicating limited demands in
other business there.
The cotton manufacturers, after some
weeks Of increasing business, which has
been peculiarly stimulated by the
strikes, rejoice in 8 really largo demand
with rising prices. Several large mills
have gone into operation this week and
others will soon follow and the deferred
business appears enough with current
needs to employ the whole working
force for time.
The iron manufacture has materially |
increased its output since the coke |
troubles ended, but with the result that
pig iron is weaker. Bessemer being |
S1l.50 at Pittsburg. At all Eastern and |
central n markets the demand for finished |
products is somewhat disappointing and |
prices gradually tend downward. indi- |
eating weakening capacity exceeding |
present requirements Rails are not |
selling, and except at Chicago there ap. |
pears somewhat less business in other |
finished forms.
The WOODEN manufactures, in which |
deferred business might naturally have |
been larger than in others, does not in |
crease the working force, and after two |
or three active weeks the business has
slackened with about three quarters of |
the usual transactions for tho season.
Failures in August aggregated lia-
bilities OF $40, 139, AIT, OF which S3,172,.
$50 were in manufacturing and SIS ,O7S,-
153 in trading concerns. During the |
week the failures were els in the |
United Statas, against 323 last year, and |
~ in Canada against IS last year.
Investigations Stopped for Awhile.
NEW YORK, Sept. 7.-All the police |
prosecutions which sprang up in the
wake OF the LexOw committee investi- |
CATION will cease now, for the time |