Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-01-27
BUSINESS ACTIVITY.
A Very General Steadiness In the
Prices Of Staples
PINCREE FOR an ElCH1.HOURs DAY.
The Governor Of Michigan Thinks Shorter
Work Day Has Become Necessity
Cotton Operatives Unessy-so-
oial Democracy Colony.
New YORK, Jan. 90. -Bradstreet's
commercial report saws:

NEW IORk, jan. 5I.-brauStroeCS
commercial report says:
A large measure Of activity In business and
Industrial lines with In some instances pre-
vious records surpassed, and very general
steadiness in prices Of staples, Is, perhaps, the
most notable feature Of the trade situation
this week Quotations Of cereals show the
most aggressive strength. while those Of some
makes Of pig iron betray rather more decided
weakness than they did week ago Mild
weather Is frequently mentioned as an nflu-
ence tending to check retail distribution Of
seasonable goods, chiefly because Of the effect
on country roads Spring trade opens slowly,
- usual Ut this time Of the year, but conf
dence Is still unimpairsd As already init
mated, the immense current production Of pig
iron, amounting to fully 100000 tons per
month, has begun 70 exercise an influence upon
the price OF that staple, but decreases report
ed are still only fractional The outlook in
the steel rail trade Is reported ss fat
tering one Large orders for railroad
account already booked have been increased
within the week, an example Of this being
furnished by sales Of 10, 600 tons reported from
Chicago at full prices. Higher prices for wool
abroad, based partly on short yield reports, are
reflected in the frnness Of domestic quota
lions, although demand, while comparing well
with most preceding years, Is smaller than 1t
was ut this time in 1897. when tariff changes
were being anticipated The industrial sltua-
ton, with the single exception Of the cotton in
du.try, is one Of exceptional strength As yet
the strikes In this branch Of trade, however, are
largely confined to Massachusetts.
Mems wear woolens ore moving fairly we'll
At the west distributve trade is slowly i'm
proving, while OF the south fair January trade
is reported, particularly in the Mississippi
valley Good returns from last years Louis
lana sugar crop find expression In higher
prices for sugar lands. The good export de-
mand for cotton precludes too heavy aocumua-
tons ut primary points In spite OF the crop
movement Mild weather In the northwest
Affects trade to some extent A point Of inter-
est, however, 10 the report that fur goods man
ufactories, usually shut down OF this season,
are running full time on Alaskan orders
A further falling OF In the number Of busi-
ness failures Is reported In the United States
this week, the total being only SO9 against 1913
last week, ~ In this week year ago. VA In
this week Of 1890, Sl2 In 1905 and S3s In 1894
PINGRRE FOB AN EIGHT-HOUR DAY.
DETROIT, Mich, Jan. 29.-More than
200 members and guests Of the Alger
Republican club enjoyed the ninth an.
nual banquet Of that organization in
the Hotel Cadallic yesterday evening.
Features Of the occasion were the ad-
dresses Of Gov. Pingree and ex-Con.
gresham James O'Donnell, both of
whom are aspirants for this years gu
bernatorial nomination. Gov. Pingree
remarked that, as governor, he had "a
license, not franchise, to offer sug-
gestions.' His principal suggestion
was that, In view Of present lack Of
employment, caused chiefly by concen.
tration Of wealth and business, uni.
versal eight-hour working law had be-
come necessity. As An employer, he
favored this and he had written the
governors Of the various states urging
consideration Of the question by the
legislatures and asking their views
Mr.. VDonnell In his response took
good-natured thrust at the governor
by congratulating him upon advocat-
ing the eight-hour law. "Mr Pin.
gree's eight-hour law idea," said he,
sis very good one. Originated it in
the national house Of representatives
and voted for it."
COTTON OPERATIVES UNEASY.
BOsTON, Jan. 22.-While on the sur.
face the strike situation in the cotton
industry shows little change, there is
an undercurrent of unrest
which denotes that the strain, on the
side at least, Is beginning to
be surely felt. The joint committee
on behalf OF the strikers at New Bed.
ford issued an appeal last night for
financial assistance, and at Biddeford
arrangements are being made for the
issuance OF soup to the non-union help
outof work. The strike at Fall River
also to be advancing toward a
critical stage, and the minor strikes
which have occurred there lead to the
belief that the labor leaders may not
be able to hold back the operatives in
that city, and that break may occur
there at any time, which will not only
affect the $4,000 employees in that city,
but every mill city In New England.
The strike among the spoilers at the
Narragansett mill in Fall River yes
terday shows the growing sentiment
in that city,
SOCIAL DEMOCRACY COLONY.
KNOXVILLE Tenn, Jan. 22.-Eugene
V. Debs spoke here last night in favor
Of the social democracy movement.
In an interview he said that the
scheme to purchase 100000 acres of
land in east and middle Tennessee for
colonization was certainty and that
"a n IA , nation mould .oo, he t.l.o.