The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-07-07
BRADSTREETS REPORT.
The Railway Strike Proves a Menace
to Business.
THE FRUIT TRADE Is PARALYSED
BY LACK OF TRANSPORTATION.

ana MANY FACTORIES are Closed for Lack of
Fuel-New England Trade Fails But
Little in this Respect as it Not Directly
Affected by the strike-The List of
Failures for the Week Compares
Favorably With that of Last Year.
New York, July 6.-Bradstreets to-
morrow will say, aside from interven-
tion of the holiday, there is sharp
restriction of general trade and indus
trial production. due to the railway
troubles. The combined railroad strike
and boycott had steadily increasing
and damaging influence upon the gener-
al industrial situation. There is little
doubt the total number of idle as
resultFof this railway tie-up far exceeds
the outcome of any previous labor
troubles in this country. The present
disturbance is affecting every portion
of the country. If it is much prolonged
general shutdown of industrial opera
tions in all lines will be threatened.
The number striking, or idle, through
the strike is SO far this year already ex-
| ceeded 100000. With the combined
strike and boycott under headway, little
road milage is tied up, coal famine is
threatened. Trade with the country
merchants in manysinstances is actually
stopped, owing to- the inability to ship
the goods. Factories are closing for
want.of fuel or because of sympathetic
strikes land producers and receivers of
per1shable produce are suffering serious
hnancal losses, owing to the checked
shipments or inability of the roads to
handle freight. From California inform
alton was received that thousands oil
tons of fruit are rotting for want of
transportation. All cereals except wheat
show decided advance lin price. Pork
and lard are picking up sh arply, as are
fruits and vegetables, meats and other
pelshable produce. Pig iron in the
West is commanding 25 cents more a
ton. Cattle, ..hogs and sheep are notice
ably higher even at the far Western mar
kets where the receipts are restricted.
The foregoing features are most conspic-
uous aAChicago and San Francisco and
are having very unfavorable effects at
Minneapolis. st. Paul, Milwaukee, Oma-
ha, Kansas City, st. Louis and Cleve-
| land.
General trade at New Orleans. Mobile
Savannah. Nashville and Memphis are
| unfavorably affected by the railway
tie-up Persons in terested in shipping
| vegetables and fruit have already
suffered a great loss. Charleston reports
| trade dull, Augusta says it is good for
the season with the results of June's
| business more favorable than June of
a year ago. At Birmingham trade is
very quiet in all lines. Favorable crop
| reports came from Texas and stimulate
merchants to expect good fall trade
| AT the larger eastern centres there are
| no material gains in the situation, be-
| with the increased volume of the sales
| of the same at Boston, total four
| times as large as that reported in the
| week of a year ago. Six New England
cities shipped 100000 cases of shoes last
| week against 1000 in the week of
year ago. 3oston's receipts OF hides are
100000 of all varieties, compared with
| 247, 900 of the week of a year ago.
One of the largest cotton manufactur-
| ing corporations in Rhode Island closed
| for week and other cotton mills con-
| tinue to pile up stocks. Aside from the
| increase in restriction of trade at Pitts
burg due to the railway situation there
is a revival in the demand for billets for
future delivery at S19,. Baltimore re-
! ports unsatisfactory trade. Reports from
1 Philadelphia are volume and results of
business in nearly all the lines unsatis-
factory Trade is no better at Buffalo.
The United States and Canada carried
of wheat against IS, 500, 900 of year
| ago. The total here and in Canada, in
and afloat for Europe July 1 was 146,-
$4,000 bushels, compared with 152,3OS,-
| 900 of year ago, with the Australian
| stocks included, and the worlds availa-
| wheat supply for July /. was Ais, 49,
600 bushels, against 157, ,20e, 900 a year
ago, when the total was the largest on
record for like date. Materially high.
| er prices for wheat at an early date
would appear to depend on the truth of
the assertion that domestic ;nvisi BILE
wheat supplies is practically exhausted,
| of which fact there are no certain evl-
dence. The total exports of wheat for
the United States and Canada for both
| coasts, -four included, for this week is
| 1,S50,O00 bushelas, against 3,677, 900 for
| the week of year ago.
| Business failures in the United States
| for this week number only 164, against
| 319 for the same week of a year ago. The
| bank clearings show total for June of
| So, SIG, 315, per cent less than those in
| May, u per cent less than those in June
of last year and IL per cent larger than
| the low water mark of February of
this year. AT New York city the
increase is nearly 2S per cent from that
| of June OF year ago Th total for "a
| cities for six months is S22 364, $780, 600,
a decrease of 2S per cent from that OF
| a Year ago. Bank clearings for the
| week equal 1914, 900, 900, against $l,055,-
| 900, 900 for the first week of July, 1898.
ABoston and Maine Accident