The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-13
RISE In MEAT AND OIL.
THE FEATURES IN TRADE CIRCLES
DURING TIE WEEK.
The Numb Of strikes the Princip'l Bet
Back im iho Encouraging Sigps-O'h
aItlon Of Retail Trade.

Tho feature in trade circles - lV"'" =.
the friccs movement. more )aru'ui"IV
fhfse for cattle. dressed beef ana lt.
troleum. Drought. low prices. ana nasu
times within two ycars have resuieVu 80 ~,
a abort supply Of cattle. prOspectNey "
nor cent less than hast year Live c a.ue
are 81 90 higher per hundred POUNDS va,
last year. and 81 higher than Tue iowyS.
loint this year. Dressed oee' ~ -
cents higher than the average last gN"t.
the highest since lN'5. Inc co'nP"'',,.
scarcity Of lAgh-grade cattle IS ciup"@
sizcd nv the fact that present quota.o"'
whcn made in previous PERIODS o. 49,
civ. have never failed 20 bring supPS
when one existed. Petroleum solu ~
sN - on 7 thursday &c. miner '.' -, 80.
January ist and Hc. higher 49, .im~s
ago. which Is more thah t',''' -,
,be ,ovvcst rice in 1872, and the hleneoe
.,,ota,ion since 1873. Reduced proouc'ioh
ana Increased consumption indicate tno
Turner has been Cyertakcn' Whic" W.
reduced stocks produces eNcltvbleHp -, 80
market AUong more iinpoiti Tan. 49, =
cites roportfng actual gains IN the hoNo
~. 80 ro.r.haudise are Atlanta, An
en.ta savannah. and Galveston Dul I'M
,,rc,.cr,o ont there Is slight The OUTLOOK
a. ,sc,rded more cheerful at New Or
leans where sugar bounty dlsDursehen's
are expcctcd soon but al JacksohNllle an"
birmingham trade is quiet. ana III SUM
lines slow. Nashville ana memphis Ie,al"
tmnrovemont previously recorded. I'M
,,,oved weather helps trade at Charleston.
~ Chattanooga dry goods and hardware
are relatively most active
TIE WAGE QUESTION.
>-r-yv work.. April PR. G.. Dun 4
cc,cnanv's weekly review Of trade To-
morrow will say;
Progress toward better business con-
tinues. but II is slow, and meets many
obstacles In speculative aspects, ana
I'm wholesale demand for goods the
week shows Improvement. Money mar
bots are undisturbed, and a little more
oc,i,,e Rut among the chief obstacles
IS the anxiety OF the operatives 10 secure
better wages, even while many manu-
featuring works are running without
nront. and others at the risk OF loss IN
n number Of establishments better wages
have hecn conceded, thus increasing the
purchasing power Of the people DuI
strikes have largely overbalancea se'.ie-
,nents. several OF Importance having
,broun about u 900 workers out Of employ
nent This week. Retail trade has inn
Droved. on the whole. since March as .n0
srrroach of Easter brings more DUST
80 hut distribution TO individual con-
',r,ora stin iags behind purchases oi
iobhers and such demand lot piou"C %
ss spring from building ana o'n'i ~,
,,ostments looking into the future oIop
nrospects will greatly affect the Voul %
~ trade for some months ana 'hc "O'
,-o,,crt report has little influence 10
discourage. For consumers the "Oi''
feature Is the rapid advance IN meats
nor the first time In a long perou'
,rices Of commodities average a shaue
higher than year ago, ana III vi %
Britain also. owing 10 different causes,
slight advance occurred I'm March. On
hotb sides of the ocean. the lowest leVei
ever known may naturally be followed 10y
some rise.
DOMESTIC TRADE.
Domestic trade, shown by payments
through clearinghouse Is ~ per oe'.'
larger than last year but ~ per Oe"'.
smaller than I'm 1898 About this time TWO
,..ars ago retail business began 10 drop
OF and mills TO close. but half the uii-
ference in the volume OF business AZ que
10 the fan in prices The last week
for exports was good showing an IN
crease of Is per cent, but March returns
Tor the principal products show a de-
crease OF S5.25S.4Sl or ll.5 per cent
against an increase OF 10 per cent III iii'-
ports at New York
Tho output Of pig iron April LIST was
1853 1872 tons weekly, practically inc same
as March LIST. with a decrease OF l'VoO tons
in unsold stocks during the monul.
Doubtless heavy stocks were taken up py
manufacturers in anticipation or strlke
in coke works. but the apparent consump-
ton Is larger than at any other time
for some months. and only a sixth less
than in March. 1892. Bessemer iron has
advanced little further 10 500 at Pitts
burg but there is no change whatever
in prices OF finished products during the
week. and while the demand continues
good for structural FORMS and little
better for bar. the marked decrease III
demand for wire, owing TO the scanty
purchases of farmers for fencing. affects
the outlook. 1t seems probable that pig
iron must retire unless a larger demand
for finished products is soon developed.
TIE SHOE MANUFACTURE.
The shoe manufacture continues tC
lead all the great industries, with ship
ments over twenty per cent. larger IN
number of cases than year ago though
not in value, while orders have been more
liberal at advanced prices. Sales OF wool
are particularly interesting. amounting
for the week TO 6650,20O pounds, and for
five weeks previous TO 2562l 200, against
25N7,l67 pounds for the same weeks OF
1892 In brief. sales are close TO the guam
tity required for a full consumption, and
the long delay in placing orders and the
lateness of the season make the proper
ton OF mills at work larger than usual
No improvement IN prices appears, ana
domestic wool does not respond TO re-
cent advances In foreign markets. The
low price encourages manufacturers tc
compete more vigorously with foreign
goods OF many kinds than they had ex-
pected, and for the medium and cheaper
grades of goods they have more than the
usual demand. because purchases OF con.
sumers have for two years been com
paratively small. rhe better goods are
not so WELL foreign con petition beine
more effective. but there is a good demand
for dress goods.
CONTINUED STRENGTH IN COTTON.
In oottons. continued strength appears
with further occasional advances OF a
quarter and ar eighth I'm print cloths
ami the aggregate Is fair. Many agents
are sold well ahead. Money is easier. and
supplies are again coming from the In
terror, while foreign exchange has beer
at the exporting point More commercial
paper Is now offering, principally in dry
goods though the amount is no. large
Failures for the first four days OF April
showed liabilities of $l,l&.52S, OF which
Si45Sf0 were of manufacturing and $742 6S'
Of trading concerns. Failures for the week
were W1 In the United States, against
2lS last year. and q in Canada. against
"a last year.
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