Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-07-06
MAY PROVE COSTLY.
Dun's Reflections of the Effect of til,
Striker ON Trade.

Duh - NChSSNAOhS VI NhG EhSSN VI AAS
Strikes on Trade.
New York, July 3.-R. G.. Dun g. Co.,
in their weekly review of trade, say:
midsummer vacations have commenced
in many works, with the decrease of or
ders usual at this season. This customary
vacation is called a strike where agree
ments regarding wages for the coming
year have not been reached, and the ex-
tensive strike Of amalgamated iron work.
ers announced July Is of this nature, but
the strike of coal miners in Illinois and
other central western states Is not, and
may prove costly. In some iron and cotton
works wages have been reduced owing to
low prices, one cotton mill in Virginia clos
ing because reduction was not accepted.
With better demand the employers will
seek agreement. and in Its absence the
workers before long, SO that the situation
Is distinctly of midsummer character.
Large hopes are built on prospective de-
mand after the tariff bill has passed. hut
the pressure in the market of large import
ing stocks may defer 1t. The general be-
lief is that removal of uncertainty will in
any case increase business.
1.-The iron and steel industry halts at
midsummer, although the demand for fin
ished products still increases and disap-
pointment is due only to the fact that the
increase Is not yet enough to keep all mills
at work, and thus to bring better prices,
which now average slightly lower than
ever before though not one per cent.
below chose of March, 1895. The export
trade is increasing, and large order for
India has just been taken at a price said
to be s. below British bids. Coke produc-
ton Is increasing again. as more iron
furnaces are going into blast.
"Since much of the future depends on
crops, the Frightening prospects are of the
highest Importance. Estimates by persons
usually most pessimistic. now far exceed
any made month ago. one promising
$50. 0C0 bushels 81 wheat. with lower con-
dition. but largely increased acreage OF
corn. Cotton prospects are brighter, as the
crop appears to be early rather than late
in regions which were not flooded. A
strong effort to lift prices failed, and the
close is 1850 lower for the week, with corn
half cent lower. Cotton rose an eighth
with small sales
Textile manuta cures are waiting. and
cotton mills curtailing production with
large stocks on hand, and prices scarcely
changed. while wooden mills are grad
ually increasing work with better orders,
and prices in line to advance shade.
Failures for the week have been 241 in
the United States, against 257 last year,
and 30 in Canada. against % last year"
Bradstreet's says:
Better weather has fayorably affected
the sale of seasonable goods, particularly
clothing. hats and shoes. Orders for
prompt shipment are fewer, but the move
ment Of goods for fall delivery has be-
gun. The most encouraging feature Is
the continued and in some instances in
creased confidence of merchants and man.
ufacturers that the autumn will bring a
larger volume of business at higher prices.
General trade is reported quite satisfac-
tory at Kansas City. ST. Louis. Omaha,
Memphis and New Orleans; fair withou,
special expansion at Milwaukee, Minneap.
oils, Cleveland, Savannah, Galveston and
| Chicago, and slow or quiet at Birmingham
Little Rock. Atlanta, Charleston, Cincin-
natl and Detroit. None of the larger east.
| ern centers records an increase. The least
| favorable feature of the week is found In
| disappointment at lack of demand and re-
action in quotations for some varieties OF
! iron and steel. The threatened idleness
of 100000 iron, steel and glass workers and
| soft coal miners is. except in the latter In
stance, due. in part. to the season of the
year"