The New York herald., 1873-11-17
DEPRESSED TRADE.
General Anxiety Of the Bread
Winners Of the Country.
The GREAT MANUFACTURING CENTRES.
Business in Connecticut, Maine, Ohio
and Pennsylvania.
MAINE.
Slight Improvement In the Prospects
OF Shoe Man fact n rers-Views Of EN-
pioyers and Operatives ON the Crisis.

Slight Improvement In the Prospects
OF Shoe eManufacturers-Vie of EN-
pioyers and Operatives on the Crisis.
AUBURN, Nov IA, 1873.
Since my last letter from this city have made
more extended examination OF the shoe factories
here and obtained much additional information OF
interest In this special crisis. One very notable d
change In the last three days Is the incoming OF
struggling orders for shoes and boots from South
ern and Western buyers, when manufacturers
had quite abandoned further expectations for the
season. One manuactory John +. Cobb Co..
had shut down altogether, and their help were be-
ginning TO scatter, when orders came in, and
three or four days ago they started up again.
Other manufacturers we're about closing out, and
were started mp in similar way. have massed the
aggregate shipments OF the city for the week
closing yesterday, and find them to be LOIS cases.
to 75O for the corresponding week last year. 'rhat
does not look like going the funeral OF the shoe
business in New England In hurry says one Of
the shoe men. 1t is quite likely, from present pros
pects that the shoe factories will keep half their
force running Tor two weeks longer. The past
weeks business has been far better than was anti
cipated.
In this connection 1t Is significant to observe
that the manufacturers begin TO feel slight let up
in the money market. Mr. Jordan, or the firm OF
Little, Smith h Co., large boot manufacturers.
makes the following statement to your reporter
| Cup to last week collections were almost i'm.
possible Within the past three days we have
been receiving enclosures in small amounts to be
sure, from retailers with whom we deal all over
| New England. Now, these remittances are not
| on notes. but on running accounts and it seems
| to me that the resumption Of such payments in
| dicates let-up in money o. tendency that way.
People pay notes before they touch ledger labili-
| ties, and 1t seems that maturing paper is being
| met and the sediment Is now going for the ledger
! scoren AS the conversation proceeds the firms
mail Is being opened before us, and there Is ocular
! proof that the premises OF the argument are cor
| rect.
A HOPEFUL VIEW.
Interviewing a heavy boot manufacturer (Messrs.
| J. G. Lombard Co.. your correspondent finds
| him very serene:-
pm running full time" says he, ''and have
| been all the season find collections slow, but
other than that my sales and business have been
A No. l. But my trade is largely State OF Maine
trade and that hasn't been affected very seriously
! by the panic"
"What do you think of the prospect aheads''
asked the reporter.
.Well says Mr.. Lombard). tell 'em as long as
babies are born barefooted and It's fashionable to
wear 'em (shoes) the shoe business must be good"
| One OF the manufacturers, Mr. Crafts, OF the firm
ern trade, says
l haven't had many orders countermanded.
One Southern buyer, however, wrote me thus:-
| "You needn't send my order further than already
hled. Those good times promised under Grant
| didn't come ana shant want them" This all the
way from Petersburg Va.
THE BANKS CRITICISED.
A firm oftanners tMessrs: Miller, Randall Coz
state that they are about shutting down to repair
boilers; but that the demand for their goods, es-
peciany for harness leather has been good or the
aYtn fhnV
teach the banks that their best policy is to wait
business men instead of stock spectators. III
have had this crisis" says Mr.. Randall.
Getting into group OF shoe workmen just now,
one NAV gather not a little Information OF inter-
est Tne are remarkably good-natured for men
| lying on their oars and facing the lrigidity OF
been a prominent labor reform champion, your
'.Who's to blame for the present situation of
III you want me to talk politics can answer,
"No, nothing Of that sort; but do you blame the
mo. | don't think monopohes have caused this
| trouble, and feel there's something wrong. Rail-
roads and big corporations are working to crowd
| down the prices OF labor and get big profit. In
the shoe business labor is cheap; but don't blame
as 10 look M it. and one wants tS se
goods cheaper than another"
"Well think manufacturers are doing as well
as they can. l never have been obliged to loaf
day at the shoe business, but the majority Of work
4 u
"How is it2 Are these the best workmen2"
| "No; the best w0rkmen don't have to lay or
| great deal should Judge that shoemakers here
earn $40 SO week on an average, and suppose
girls average S. week. Those that work out Of
GLOW much can sober shoemaker lay up in
yearYn
! in Maine lays up about 500 year and a shoemaker
about the same on the average. AS for me can
| earn $4 SO a day. Men running teams on sewed
| teams,
when earned ss day Prices of pegged work
are cut down pretty fine and they can't earn SO
''What about the Crispnsr' asks the reporter.
sThe Crsplns here have given up their organza-
ton. IL got INTO bad hands, and was run into the
ground believe the Crlspin organization fit
had kept out of strikes, was all right. Demand is
tended to poor work and cheap pay The Crispin
policy would have given good workmen better
work and better wages"
"What is lie prospect Tor the winter among the
workmenr
a think a majority of them viii be pressed, un-
less business should start up. A great many OF
'em haven't been alookn for this time, and nave
lived little iaster than they ought. They talk
though 'twoud last all winter, but don't believe
1t. l should judge that last fall at this time our
shop was as dull as it is now.n
"rhen you think the laboring man don't get his
share Of the profts?"
'Yes; think labor generally is crowded. 1
don't think it's specially burdensome IN our line
but think the producer has a harder time than
the distributor. don't think our farmers have
their share; the grocer gets more than his"
"wHAT'S THE REMEDYp
asks the reporter.
That's just what was a comm to,r replies the
workman. ''The remedy Is cooperation. We
tried to get up cooperative factory here and the
men could easily have got together $50, 900, but
some OF them had their pay raised and the thing
blew over. say cooperation Will get up a better
class OF work. Everybody will be Interested and
good work will sell when IL gets into the market.u
al suppose you think Grant is responsible for
this panic ~ insinuates the reporter.
1--WE won't look at IL as politics. think for one
thing It's the result OF looking to specie That's
the basis want to see things on. Idon't care TO
handle silver but want greenback TO be worth
| silver and gold.h
'wnat is the feeling between manufacturers and
! workmen ~
"rhere's too much war; as little here as any place
| is ever in, and one man pays ten cents pair for
| finishing, another six cents and the workmen get
| up a cry against the manufacturer, often wthoul
| cause, not thinking that It's different classes or