The Portland daily press., 1894-06-02
Strikes and Storms Add to Business
Depression.
NEW ENGLAND SUFFERS LESS
THAN SOUTH AND WEST.
The List of Failures Small Compared With
the Corresponding Week of Last Year
How the Depression is Felt at Different
Parts of the Nation-A Summary of
the Business of the Week

Parts of the Nation-A Summary of
the Business of the Week.
New York, June 1.-Bradstreets tomorrow
will say: The unfavorable condition of
general trade reported last week confines
without material Improvement.
The continued delay in tariff legislation
prolongs the sitting effect on the wholesale
business. The great coal strike continues
without any sign of an early improvement,
and more mills, factories and furnaces have
closed their doors for want of fuel The pig
iron industry of the central and western
states is practically at a stand still, for
want of soft coal or coke. At Pitrsburg and
vicinity the scarcity of fuel has greatly
stagnated business. Almost all the strikes
previously reported are still in existence.
The volume of general trade is still further
reduced by the Intervention of the holiday
and cold and wet weather. Favorable
features come from Duluth, Omaha, Au-
gusta, Ga., and Jacksonville. The stimula-
tion Of trade at Lake Superior ports is large
ly due to the rapid shipments of bituminous
coal accumulated there. The rains through
out Nebraska have improved the crop pros
pect and caused more active purchases.
Omaha jobbers and Augusta reports gain
in the volume of business as compared with
the last three weeks and that the cotton
manufacturers have orders ahead and are
running on full time. The rains throughout
Flor ida in the vegetable district have
stimulated demands. At Jacksonville trade
is brisk. At most western cities there is
practically no change from the depression
of last week. At Louisville sales at fair
prices are noted only with reference to leaf
tobacco.
At Chicago the volume of business in dry
goods, clothing and shoes have fallen off.
The sales of almost all staples to districts
affected by coal strikes are lighter, land
banks report very little call for loans, even
from the grain trade and deposits are in
creasing. Similar influences have checked
business of the st. Louis jobbers. The
wholesale dealers of Kansas City admit
business is only fair and prices are closer,
and collections are less prompt. Showers
throughout the agricultural districts of
California have further improved the crop
and business conditions. Reports from
Columbia river canneries are not satisfac-
tory as to quantity. AT Portland, Oregon,
business is almost entirelysuspended. owing
to the floods. Concessions in prices for wool
from New England manufacturers. Ship
ments of shoes from Boston have increased
about equal to those of year ago, and cot
ton goods mills where not affected by the
strikes are running on full time, at cut
prices. Philadelphia textile manufacturers
are operating SO to rs per cent of their
plants, on orders only. At Baltimore sales
men report orders fairly frequent, but of
smaller volume than heretofore, with an
outlook for no Improvement and slower
collections. Travelling statesmen from
Buffalo report business better in agricul-
tural than manufacturing districts, but
very lite doing in either.
Machinery and plantation supplies are in
fair demand at New Orlnans and -Atlan ia,
and the furniture manufacturers expect to
start up this month. The total bank clear
ings of seventy-three cities for May is
SO, ,S59, 100000, or 26.6 per cent less than in
May, 1898. For the total five months of the
current calendar year SIS, ,504, 100000 or 60
per cent less than like portion in 1885,
The price movement of various staples
continues the record of last week, and the
week before, with concessions in quotations
for the week in cotton goods, cattle, wheat,
pork, coffee and moderate advances for oats
and lard. Steel billets, bituminous and an
thracite coal, and Bessemer pig iron have
advanced owing to the scarcity of fuel
There is no material change noted in prices
of cotton or Indian corn. There are 1888
mercantile failures throughout the United