Griggs courier., 1897-07-09
BUSINESS OUTLOOK.
Effects of Strikes on the General
Trade Situation.
In some ln.tanees They May Prove
Costly - Bright Crop Prospects,
Are Encouragtng-Mefc
Have Confidence.

New York, July 3.-R. G. Dunt& Co..
in their weekly review of trade, say:
'.Mfdsummer vacations have commenced
in many works. with the decrease OF or
ders usual at this season. This customary
vacation is called q strike where agree
ments regarding wages for the coming
year have not been reached. and the ex-s
tensive strike Of amalgamated iron work.
crs announced July Is OF this nature. but
the strike of coal miners in Illinois and
other central western states Is not, ana
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 a 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-
mapd after the tariff bill has passed. but
the pressure in the market Of large import
ing stocks may defe. 1t. The genera! Pc
lief is that removal OF uncertainty Will IN
any case increase business.
..The iron and steel industry halts at
midsummer, although the demand for In
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 those of March, 1886. The export
IraQe is increasing, anu q AdTSS O10SA 4OA.
India has just been taken at a price said
to be IS 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
$50 600 bushels Of wheat, with lower con-
dition, but largely increased acreage of
Cation brighter. thR
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 lssc lower for the week. with corn
half a cent lower. Cotton rose an eighth
with small sales.
Textile manufactures are waiting, and
cotton mills curtailing production with
large stocks on hand, and prices scarcely
changed. while woolen mills are grad
ually increasing work with Better ORDERS.
and prices in line to advance shade.
Failures for the week have been 24l In
the United States, against 257 last year,
and so in Canada. against q last year.
Bradstreet's says:
Better weather has favorably 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 iE-
creased confidence of merchants and man
ufacturers that the autumn will bring
larger volume of business at higher prices.
General trade is reported quite satiscac-
tory at Kansas City, st. Louis, Omaha,
Memphis and New Orleans; fair, without
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."