The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-07-06
GETTING MORE PAY.
Wages Of a Million Workers Have
Gone Up.a Notch
THE WEEKLY GLANCE AT THE
COUNTRY'S BUSINESS.
Bank CIearings Show a Gain Everywhere
but Notably in the Far Western States
Statistics in Big Figures for the Past
Six nIenths-The Trade Review,

Statistics in Big Figures for the Past
Six Menths-The Trade Review,
New York, July 5.-Bradstreet's tomor-
row will say: Notwithstanding that the
week was broken by a holiday, the fav-
orable trade conditions heretofore re-
ported, continue to exercise pronounced
influence. General advances in prices
of staples and wages of industrial en-
ployes continue The latest advices are
that, in ALL more than 1000, 600 indus
trial workers have received an advance
averaging about 10 per cent. The upward
tendency in prices, while not as marked
as month ago, is still striking, because
of the additional advances, those of lrm-
Der, tin plate and print clothes being new.
Piece stuffs at Chicago are about five
cents higher per 1000 feet and at Seattle
lumber is to be advanced today ST. Louis
reports tin plates 10 cents per box higher,
and the American tin plate factories are
kept busy to meet the demand. Cotton
goods are generally firm In the late ad-
vance in raw cotton, but some varieties
are quiet at this midsummer season.
Fancy prints are active for fall delivery.
Wool quotes at another advance for South
American and Australian varieties. Prices
at London sales are up 10 or 15 points,
which, having been more than discounted
there, induces the trade to anticipate a
reaction unless London quotations ad-
vanco further. Cotton is higher, as is
leather.
We have a repetition of the announce
ment made each week for more than a
month that quotations ..for pig iron and
steel billets have advanced, 10 this must
be added a. similar statement in respect
to bar iron. The anthracite coal trade
remains ins the unfavorable condition
which has so long characterized it.
Cattle and hogs remain practically un-
| changed in price, as do sugar and coffee.
Among the list of staples for which
prices are lower are wheat flour, wheat,
corn and oats. in all instances, the out
come of the reports of improved crop
conditions Pork and lard are lower,
as are potatoes and butter.
At the East the most active trade is re-
ported from Pittsburg where the revival
among the iron and steel industries has
stimulated trade in almost all lines At
the West, the most favorable condition
of business is reported from ST, Louis
and the incentive appears to be the uni
form reports Of favorable crop prospects
throughout the region tributary to that
city. No materials Improvement is report
ed from the South, the rains continuing
to damage the agricultural interests and
to check business.
The advices from nearly all the cities
reported appear to agree that wholesale
dealers in nearly all lines are greatly en-
| couraged as to the outlook for business
during the autumn, believing that the
demand will be greatly stimulated by a
i,r hnlia
permanent improvement in prices.
The total June bank clearings of 81
cities are S4, 3S1. 7S5, 0S1, a decrease of g. 4
per cent from May, and an increase
overs June year nago of % 4 per cent,
whichB showed a decrease of 20 per cent
land, the Middle, Western and North
western States over last year are smaller
in June than in May In the Southern
and far Western States, the increase is
larger than in May, pointing to business
improvement in the latter sections. The
total clearings at 81 cities for six months
in 1895 aggregate SIS, 204, $50, 767 an in
| crease over 1894 OF 16.5 per cent and a de-
crease from 1893 and 1892 of II per cent.
Among SO cities with totals for six
months in 1894 and 1895, only II report
decrease.
The United States and Canada carry
over go, III, 900 bushels of available wheat
into this, the new cereal year, about 20
per cent less than one and two years
ago. Within six months these stocks de-
clined &c, 090, 900 bushels, the heaviest de-
cline on record for a like period, and in
the face of a net increase of such stocks
in the latter half of 1894 of fully 3d. 500,
600 bushels. European stocks of wheat
in store and afioat are 70, 760, 900 bushels
decrease of only 5000, 600 respectively
from one and two years ago American,
Canadian, European and Australian
stocks of available wheat July l, 1885,
amount to 1856, $40, 600 bushels, against
154, 319, 900 year ago
There were 1877 business failures report
ed throughout the United States this
| week, compared with 2l4 in the first
| week of July, 1894.