The Portland daily press., 1894-01-06
DRUMnERS ON THE MOVE.
The knights Of the Road Begin the
Years Campaign.
SMALL MAIL ORDERS, HOWEVER.
STILL THE BULK OF TRADE.

Bradstreet's Review of the Business of
the Week-Mills Resuning Work, Cen
orally After Reduction in the Wages
of the Help-Orders Much Smaller
Than at This Time Last Year-Chica-
go's Report of Bond Sales and Bank
Deposits.
New York, January 5-Bradstreet's to-
morrow will say that general trade
throughout the country has been of
somewhat smaller volume than last
week, the indication of it's character be-
ing found in the report from Chicago,
that small mail orders constitute the
bulk of the wholesale business. Stock
taking is also feature. The return of
commercial travellers to the road is re-
ported from nearly all points. Prices
for iron and steel are declared to be still
further shaded at eastern centres since
the beginning of the year. While there
has been no further depression in wool
prices, concessions are to be obtained on
offers to buy. The assumptions of work
in industrial lines are very numerous.
More than twice as many factories and
mills have started up within week as
have shut down. Reductions of wages
in industrial lines continue to be very
numerous in establishments which re-
main at work. Orders for print cloths
of eastern mills amount to on
ly one-third of the quantity on the
books year ago, and the weeks sales
of wool at Boston are IS per cent less
than in the like week last year. Woolen
mills are doing hand to mouth business
on orders. Interest in the cotton market
has centered on the receipts which have
begun to fall off rapidly. although still
ahead of last year. The low cotton crop
estimates call for further shrinkage of
receipts. Eastern dry goods jobbers are
preparing for spring movement by or
dering and opening supplies, while
agents have begun to get goods'torward.
A feature at Chicago has been the heavy
increases of country bank deposits and
the noteworthy purchases of bo nds.
Boston reports trade in all lines as dull
as previously. there is a prospect for
better demand there for shoes.
Bank clearings at 05 cities for 1893 ag
gregate $54, 1855, 10000 a falling off
about 124 per cent from 1892. The avail
able stocks of wheat in the United
States and Canada, both coast and in
land and afoat for Europe, did not
change materially in volume during De-
cember. In December, 1892, they in
creased 6,50O,000 bushels. During the
last six months, the available wheat
stocks here and in Canada,increased only
100000 bushels, whereas they de-
creased 3S,000,000 bushels in the first
half of 1898. In each of the two previ-
GUS years, the total net increase in the
latter half was very much in
excess of the decrease in the
first half. Exports of wheat, -four being
included as wheat, from both the coasts
of the United States and Canada, aggre-
gated 3, 1876, 900 bushels this week against
3,00S, 900 bushels for the same week last
year.
There are reported 4s0 business fail
ures throughout the United States.
There were 313 in the corresponding
week last year.
R. G. Dun & Co.'s weekly review of
trade says that for the past week the
failures reported number 511 in the
United States against 1923 last year. The
classified liabilities in the failures re-
ported for the week ending December 2S,
amount to S., 5,099, $40, of which 50, 235, ,S44
were in manufacturing and So, 703, ,919 in
trading failures. Deferred returns swell
the liabilities for the previous week to
$9,0S1, $50 in 319 failures.
Eight Hours and Eight Hours Pay.
Brockton, Mass, January 5.-James
Means & Co. notified the help in their
factory at Montello today that they will
not enforce the 10 per cent reduction in
any of the departments of the factory,
but will substitute an alternative of
eight hours at s hours pay at the old
prices in all departments.
Work in the Navy Yard
Boston, January 5.-The big rolling
mill in the Charlestown navy yard will
start on full time with a full compile
ment of men next Monday. Cable for
three new warships, the Oregon, Indiana
and Massachusetts, will be made here
and will give employment to the rolling
mill and chain shops for 10 months.
THE WEATHER.