The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-05-04
AN INCREASE IN BUSINESS
BRADSTREETS SAYS THERE IS AN
 IMPROVEMENT IN ALE LTNES.

Industrial Unyest Takes the Form of StriI-
 ing for Higher wages-AH Gains Arc Re-
 tnined Throughout the West-WoolPrices l Easier Rt Lower Rates. New York, May 8.-Bredstreets to-
 morrow will say:
 lines of general trade has resulted in
 an increase in the volume of business,
 notwithstanding the impending idleness of 5000 Rhode Island worsted mill
 operatives and many in other industrial
 hnes. Industrial unrest now takes the form of striking for higher wages. 1 This week about 50, GOO Industrial em-
 ployes, principally coal miners and cot-
 ton and woo1en mill operatives have
 struck and the tendency in these does
 not seem to be checked. About 5000
 people are reported to have obtained higher wages without striking. April bank clearings reflect improved de- mand for staples and enlarged specula- tion in stocks and bonds, wheat, pe-. troleum and cotton in a monthly aggre- gate which 9s the largest reported since June 1898. Total Apuil cleartngs at
 sixty-one cities are $4. .332, ,S22, ,g99. a gain
 over 1894 of IA per cent, and over
 March this year of 5,5 per cent. Vhe
 increase over February is 25 per cent.
 Three-fourths of all the cities report
 ing show increase over April, 1894,
 special improvement being noted in the
 eastern and middle states and in the
 south and southwest. The far west
 ern group alone shows a decrease. For
 four months the total clearings are
 $159S3, ,357, a gain of 9.1 per cent.
 over 1894, but a decrease of 26 per cent.
 from 1893. Bank clearings at eighty cities this week record an increase in the volume of trade.
 Throughout the west ali preceding gains are retained together with fur
 ther improvement due to needed rains in Nebraska Iowa, Minnesota, South and North Dakota, where the crops have been greatly benffted. The reason is fifteen days ahead in South Dakota. Collections at Sioux Falls, an exception to the rule show some in1provemnt. At Chicago and St Louis the volume of trade Is larger than in 1892, a year of heavy traffic, iron and steel, dry goods, hardware and building materials lead- ing in activity. Similar advices are re- ceived from Cincinnati Kansas City, Minneapolis, St. Paul and other places. Agricultural conditions in Tennessee are said to be favorable. Tn Texas the coast country still needs rain. At Chattanooga and Augusta the weeks business has been of somewhat smaller volume, although at the former some of the misunderstanding industries are bet ter employed than a year ago
 Trade improvement on the Pacific has evidently set in. At Seattle heavy wheat exports are reported, as we'll as higher prices for lumber and larger volume of business for April than for March. At Tacoma the local flour mar ket has been stimulated by the fact that the Northern Pacific company will add three steamers to it's Japan and China service At Portland there Is an in creased service and more improvement Is looked for. Rains throughout the California grain region promise the lar gest wheat and barley crops for years, and bags and ocean grain freights have advanced sharply. About 1000 barrels of flour went to Asiatic Russia from San Francisco by sail this weeln
 The prices movement retainsth char acteristics of preceding weeks, with a ong list of gains--which the 21s cent wheat, If corn, 1s sugar, sole leather 2 cents, upper leather and hides, shoes, binds and sashes 12 per cent. Live cat le l western centers are practically as are finished iron, coal, ,tc.
 Wool prices have been easier at lower ates. Woolen mills are fairly supplied with orders, but are not inclined to buy reely yet. Flannels are more active, tocks being one7half as large as a year go No gain is looked for until demand or all supplies becomes steady. Ex- ,orts of wheat, flour included as wheat, rom both coasts of the United States. his week. amounted to 2,255, 660 bushels, gainst 2, ,77S000 in the week a year ago, ,776, 900 bushels two years ago and B. 51 ,000 three years ago This weeks utgo is about the average for months ast. Available wheat stocks in the Tnited States May 1, 90604, 600 bushels, re smaller than at the like date one nd two years ago. For many months otals have been largely in excess of like gures either one or two years before. he decrease of domestic stocks,for four lonths is twice what 1t was one year go and 250 per cent. of what it was in ,93. There are reported 30e business ailures throughout the United States lis week, against 179 in the week a ear ago. There is improvement report l in trade circles from Toronto and [ontreal, and prices of staples have ad- anced in a number of instances,
 FIRE IN 4 RESTAURANT.