The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-11-09
ACTIVE SPRING TRADE.
For the South Is What the Proper Authorities
Say About Mercantile Affairs.
STOCKS AND PRODUCTS ARE WEAKER.
The Great Boot and Shoe Mnnurnc.
turing Industry Embnrrnsscd-
Heaviest Iron md steel pro,iue-
ton on Record Wide Advance of
Wages ana Prices for cotton.


New York. Nov. S.-Bradstreet's to-
morrow Will say:
The interruption to general trade
throughout the country incident to the
election has been emphasized by un-
usually mild weather which checks de-
,hands ,n Tor clothing. heavy weight tex
Ties, and other seaSonable goods
Except for iron, steel and cotton. tho
larger portion of advances I'm prices OF
commodities, reported since March
last has largely disappeared. Earlier
nhtlcipations of n continuous advance
III prices and demand this year. the
outgrowth of the activity Of two and
three months ago. have met with dis
appointment.
Sentiment OF traders generally IS
that the outlook promies an active
spring trade, and that the holiday sea-
son will prove satisfactory.
Bank clearinEs throughout the Unit
ed States this week aggregate s112l,-
OOo,000 Il gain of 3.5 per cent. over last
week. The falling off this week in
comparison with the like total iii 1892,
when the volume of business was very
heavy, Is less than 8 per cent 1t Is
to such exhibits as this, together with
greatly Increased railway earnings
heaviest iron and steel production on
record, widespread advances OF wages
promising prosperity during he coming
season, that those should look who
have felt only disappointment In the
falling away of demand since Scptem-
Der.
The feature of the business week
among larger Eastern cities is an i'm
proved demand for textiles, with in
creased strength In iron. at Pittsburg
after the recent reaction.
AT cities In the Central Western
States IL moderate volume of business
is reported, without material changes
complaints being most numerous from
Cincinnati.
y fair business is reported from Chr
cago in shoes and rubber, owing to
the weather conditions. St Louis
reports n larger volume of trade while
ut Kansas City the opposite is true,
owing to the consequences of prolong-
ed dry weather last month. Similar
advices are received from Omaha. At
Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and st. Paul
general trade is quiet, In part owing
to the mild weather. Grain continues
to move freely to Duluth and Lake
traffic continues active.
AT the South unseasonably warm
weather Is complained of, and in some
instances there are reports of in
creased demand for staples. but. on
the whole, the prospect favors an ac-
tive spring trade.
Mercantile conditions are improved,
and in a number of instances long
standing accounts are being paid.
What r. G. dun and co. have to say. D
What Il. q. Dun a Co. HIVE toSny.
The liabiEc,icS of firms failing in
October We're $l6.l79,536, against sl0,-
1I2.9l3 In five weeks last year. and
sci 95i, ,l32 in 1892. Failures for the week
have been $50 In the United States,
against 2GI last year, and 40 in Canada.
against ~ last year.
1t has been broken week and just
before and after elections in the mos t
important States operations rarely
have much significance. Stocks and
products are weaker and there Is some
decrease in the number OF establish
ments at work, both for rea sons hav-
ing nothing to do with questions Of
Government. The controlling power at
present is the effect to readjust prices
after the remarkable rise of last sum
mer in important materials and pro-
duets, with the struggle OF great combi-
nations to prevent decline.
The purchase of competing interests
now gives the VI. c. Frick Company
pra ctical control of more than three
quarters of the coke production anti
AN advance in the price of coke TO 81
is expected. as the Carnegie Company
has been buying up supplies at low
prices for months in advance. Yet the
price of BeSsemer pig Is lower Sll75
at Pittsburg, and billets are lower bc-
cause there is scarcely any demand
for rails 1t the combination price; struc-
tural contracts are now few and the
demand for wire and wire nails has
been curtailed by the nail trusts ad-
vance in prices, 17G per cent. In four
months Large western and eastern or
dcrS for cars help the demand for bar
but finished products are quite general
~ sold below quotations. which are now
lower than they were two months ago.
The boot and shoe manufacture Is
embarrassed even to the stoppagc of
very many works. by the refusal of
oobners TO purchase. In the belief that
leather ana shoes must decline in ac-
cord with hides. Manufacturers have
offered concessions ranging from five
to ten cents per pair. only increasing
the indisposition to buy.