The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-23
SMALLEST VOLUME
FOR MANY YEARS
FIGURES TELL STORY OF DULL
WEEK IN WALL
STREET.
MANY CARS IDLE
DECREASE IN RAILROAD EoUIP-
MENT EXPECTED. BUT NOT
As LARGE As ACTUALLLY
SHOWN.
MANY CARS IDLE

NEW YORK. Nov. 22.--'rhe small
est volume OF stock exchange business
done in a fun week for many years
dragged to close today with turn
over for the session OF 5O.Geg shares
The figures themselves tell practical
iy the Whole story. 1t may he worth
while. however, to note that the
underlying hrmness Of prices was I'M
abated Southern Pacific stock at
tracted slight attention on account of
activity and strength somewhat out OF
proportion 70 that displayed ~ the list
as a whole. \ lesser feature was a
sharp break in the Mexican petroleum
shares
OF routine news the fortulghtly idle
car statistics furnished by far the
most important item. These figures IN
fact made quite an extraordinary
showing, falling off in the equip
ment in employment by the railroads
of the country was generally antlcipat-
ed, but hardly the surprising decrease
that was actually shown. On Novem-
Der 18th there was a net surplus Of
idle cars Of 22.6b2. comparing with a
net shortage on November I st Of ! SAG,
and "a net shortage at this tine a year
ago Of SLIP.
Further Than Expected.
The evidence Of these statistics Is
AA&& the 4A&S44AA OH III bIAiflt,HS 4iti&
gone on far more rapidly than was ex-
pected even by the best judges The
actual hank statement with its sal
TBA .Q6e increases in loans and de-
crease Of SIS 0eo coo In surplus reserve
wAs undoubtedly complicated by the
eradicate operations of the week, tho
principal OF which was the New Haven
underwriting The decrease # Sl.&T7,-
Eb8 IN cash reflected the shipment ~
goi6 70 Canada on Friday
The two fundamental features Of
;se financial situation discernible for
some time past, namely the steady
falling of in trade and business the
world over and the consequent seeping
back Of capital into the great financial
reservoirs, became much more pro-
nounced during the past week. The
Inflow Of money to this center from
the interior of the country and the
small local demand has already had
the effect OF pillng up an abundant
supply of idle funds The same process
Is going on in Europe and is slowly
but surely bringing the whole inter
national situation into "A stronger
position.
Dizziness Pronounced.
The stock market last week, both
here and abroad exhibited similar
characteristics Of a do-nothing policy
z
stanes Dizziness was as pronounced
as it only can be when uncertainty
over the immediate future, particularly
a. regards such matters of prime i'm
portance as the French loan and the
relations between this country and
Mexico cause financial judgments TO
be almost entirely suspended
In the face Of the trying uncertainty
in regard 10 these and other matters
our own stock market proved less
susceptible 70 nervousness than the
foreign markets The great under
living flrmness Of prices was really the
mast pronounced feature after that Of
dizziness and was taken rs the best
evidence Of an exceptional strong
position Of the speculative account,
There were no particular features
to the trading, except PERHAPS the ac-
tivity and highly irregular market pre-
yaillng for the New Haven securi-
ties.