The Portland daily press., 1894-06-09
100000 UNEMPLOYED.
As a Result Of the Great Coal
Strike.
IT HAS AFFECTED THE BUSINESS
OF THE COUNTRY.

Bradstreets Report the Conditions of
Trade for the Past Week-The Army
of Unemployed Affects Business-A
Better Demand for Grain, but Staples
Are Lower-The Conditions and
Prospects but Little Changed from
Last Week.
New York, June s.-Bradstreets to-
morrow will say: Nearly all the unfav-
orable conditions of the past three weeks
continue to exercise an influence, and
there are few exceptions where improve
ment is noted The retail trade at many
centres is interfered with by the unfavor-
able weather and by Iurther restriction
of the purchasing power of the thou
sands of wage earners.
By the further industrial trouble or
shrinkage in production of soft
coal and the failure of the coal
strike in Alabama and Southern
Tennnesseee, the scarcity of soft coal is
having a steady increasing effect on the
industrial operations. Telegraphic ad-
vices show in addition to 175, 900 miners
on strike ,000sindustrial workers were
rendered idle within the week by the
scarcity of coal.
These and 35, ZOO idle through strikes
in other lines makes total of nearly
100000 industrial workers idle on ac-
count of the strikes.
= Tho bank ciearings show an increase
of 81 per cent as compared with last
week (in which was a holiday, The
weeks total being $40, ,000,0 900, decrease
of % per cent as compared with the
week of last year.
Business failures this week mum bered
207, compared with 293 of the week a
year ago. A see-saw of prices tips in
opposite direction this week, and most
strikingly III cereals.
Oats advanced 1-2 per cent, wheat
3 5-S, corn 1 7S, potatoes 20 cents higher
bushel at the West.
Bar iron and pig iron went upssharply
at St. Louis, and live stock at Kansas
City. Lard is fractionally higher. Con-
spicuous decrease in the prices of staples
reported are in leather and wool, due
TO the heavy receipts of the new crop.
Coffee is off half cent. At the larger
eastern centres there is no improvement
in general bu siness. New England cot
ton mills continue to produce in excess
of the demands and southern Rhode ISL
and woolen mills are shutting down for
want of fuel as well as orders. ship
ments of shoes from distributing points,
except Chicago, and notably Boston,
Philadelphia and ST. Louis are reported
heavier. in some instance equal to those
of a year ago.
Building operations continue checked
at many points, causing a reflected dull
ness in paints, glass and structural iron.
Philadelphia jobbers in dry goods report
better spot demand. The petroleum mar
ket there is more active. Baltimore
jobbers in clothing as well as in some
other lines have not sent out drummers
as formerly. Among the southern cities
covered, Richmond, Savannah, Jack
sonville, and Augusta report more fav-
orable conditions. At the first there is a
better demand for groceries and provis-
ions, for agricultural implements and
leaf tobacco, which is quite active.
Eastern Florida vegetable regions report
continued improvement in crops, and
u corresponding stimulation among the
merchants. AT Georgia centres the VOL
ume of business is fair in most lines and
improved in one or two. Elsewhere in
the south is dullness and slow collect
ions. The surplus funds in the banks
charactprizas huSinessEconditions