Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-04-13
BUSINESS PROGRESS UPWARD.
1t Continues. Though Ii II Slow and
Impeded.


NEW YORK. April 12.-R. G.. Dun &
Co.'S weekly review of trade tomorrow
will say:
Progress toward better business con-
tinues, but 1t Is slow and meets many
obstacles. In speculative aspects and In
the wholesale demand for goods. the
week shows Improvement. The money
markets are undisturbed, but little
more active. Among the chief obstacles
is the anxiety of operatives to secure
better wages, even while many manufac>
turing works are running without profit
and others at the risk Of loss. In number
Of esta blishments better wages have
been conceded, thus Increasing the pur-
chasing power of the people. but strikes
have largely overbalanced settlements.
several Of Importance having thrown
about 1900 workers out Of employment
this week.
Retail trade has improved on the Who'll,
since March. as the approach of Eastek
brings more business. but distribution to
individual consumers still hgs behind
the purchases of jobbers and such de-
mand for products as springs from build
ing and other investments looking to the
future. Crop prospects will greatly affect
the course of trade for some months. and
the government report has little infiu-
ence TO discourage. For consumers the
worst feature Is the rapid advance in
meats
For the first time In long period the
prices or commodities average a shads
higher than year ago, and In Great
Britain also, owing 70 different causes,
a slight advance occurred in March. On
both sides of the ocean the lowest level
ever known may naturally be followed
by some rise.
Domestic trade, shown by payments
through clearing houses. is 10 per cent.
larger than last year. but 20.2 per cent.
smaller than in 1893. About this time
two years ago retail business began to
drop of and mills to Close. but half tn.
difference In SHE >voi1sfe Of business IL
due TO the fall In prices. The last week
for exports was good showing an in
crease of is per cent, but March returns
for the principal products show a de-
crease OF s52j3.iS, or 11.5 per cent.
against an increase of 10 per cent. In i'm,
ports at New York.
The output of pig-iron April 1st was
15S,1S2 tons weekly. practically the sam.
as March LIST. with a decrease of 1850
tons in unsold stocks during the month.
Doubtless heavy stocks were taken up
by manufacturers in anticipation OF a
strike in coke-works. but the apparent
consumption is larger than at any other
time for some months. and only a sixth
less than in March. 1892. Bessemer iron
has advanced a little further to slC75
at Pittsburg. but there is no change
whatever in the prices of finished pro-
ducts during the week, and while the de-
mand continues good for structural
forms and a little better for bar, the
marked decrease in demand for wire.
owing to the scant purchases OF farmers
for fencing affects tho outlook
seems probable that pig-iron must retire
unless larger demand for finished pro-
ducts is soon developed
The shoe manufacture continues to lead
all the great industries. with shipments
over 20 per cent. larger in the number
OF cases than a year ago. though not in
value. while orders have been more libe-
raj at advanced prices.
The sales of wool are particularly in
teresting, amounting for the week to
$3.50. 200 pounds. and for the five weeks
pounds for the same weeks OF 1892. In
brief, sales are close 10 the quantity re-
quired for full consumption, and the
long delay In placing orders and the late
ness of the season make the proportion
OF mills at work larger than usual No
improvement In prices appears, and do
nestle wool does not respond to recent
advances In foreign markets
The low price encourages manufacturers
to compete much more vigorously with
foreign goods of many kinds than they
had expected, and for the medium ana
cheaper grades of goods they have more
than the usual demand because pur-
chases OF consumers have for two years
been comparatively small. The better
goods are not SO well handled. foreign
being more effective, but
there is good demand for dress goods.
In cottons continued strength appears,
with further occasional advances OF a
quarter and an eighth In print-cloths,
and the aggregate is fair. Many agents
are sold well ahead.
Money Is easier, and supplies are again
from the interior, while foreign
exchange has been At the exporting
point. More commercial paper is now
principally I'm dry goods. though
the amount is not large. Failures for the
first four days of April showed liabilities
OF $llss.523, of which sii5S4O were OF
and s7i2,6s3 OF trading
concerns. The failures for the week
were 207 In the United States. against
2lS last year, and q in Canada, against
81 last year.