Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-01
TRADE REPORT.
Unreasonable Weather Has a
General Dampening Effect.
Few Weeks Of Warm Sunny Weather
Will Greatly Improve Matters.
Apart from These Features Better Spirit Visible
| in Industrial Situation.

-sC" Aci ~ way oI.-DI %, W
morrow, will say:
UnscasOna weather has been the
key of the general situation, this week.
discOuraging as it has been to retail
trade in the cities and country dis
tr!cts alike, and retarding the growth
of most crops, but particularly corn
and oats in the northern half of the
country and cotton at the South. With
al. however. there is feeling prevail
cnt that few weeks of warm sunny
VIC ithcr will do much to place matters,
commercial and agricultural, in as
good or better condition than year
ago.
Apart from these features the week
has been without much change except
that a rather better spirit has been
visible in the industrial situation and
that some progress has been made to-
ward "A settlement of existing labor
troubles. The situation in textiles has
| not changed materially except that real
| conditions in the print cloth market
have been recognized by a heavy cut
| in the price of that product.
The stcadincss of prices is still a
feature, the cereals being as high or
! eighty higher than a week ago. as
| much owing to the bad crop reports
from abroad as to tales Of dry weather
damage in the Northwest to wheat and
| too cool weather for corn in the coun-
| try as a whole. Cotton is higher in the
| face of large receipts and reports of
slow trade. The crop is at least two
weeks late but the average VIII prob
ably be from } to 10 per cent. larger,
some of which will perhaps be lost.
but still leaving a comfortable margin
| Of increase. providing warm forcing
| weather succeeds shortly.
For the second week of May. % roads
report gross earnings aggregatinS
| sS,Jl0, $50, a gain of 80 per cent. over
the earning in the same week last year.
Shipments of shoes from eastern
| Manufacturers are smaller than last
week but larger than a year ago. and
| for the season this year is go cases
| ahead of last. Full trade orders are of
good value.
| Dry goods demand at retail has been
intcrfercd with by cold weather and
| Wholesale business has likewise been
| retarded. Cotton goods curtailment has
| been effectual in all lines. but print
cloths are in poor shape despite the
Bloc. reduction this week. Wool is
quiet at the East. while moving in good
volume at the interior. Prices at the
latter points are about on par with
the Eastern quotations. Imports of
Australian woods have been large.
New business in iron and stce! is
small. while production on orders is at
the maximum. Steel billets are tenn
porarily scarce and soc. higher, while
mic i,-. 1,,II nd off IN
ished products are generally strong
and the mills are still crowded with
business.
Wheat. including flour shipments for
| the week. aggregate 4.13S.91O bushels
against i.a33 40 bushels in the CORE
spending week Of 1900.
Corn exports for the week aggregate
2031. 3i3 bushels. against $685.. 294 BUSH
els in this week year ago.
Contrary to some expectations the
machinists' strike has not yet been set
tied as a whole. but numerous isolated
agreements are reported. The New
York building trades strike has been
arranged. and number of small
strikes have also ended. Late reports
are that print cloth manufa cturers will
not reduce wages and that no strike
may be expected in that industry. The
paper mill employees will strike in case
an S-hour day is not granted them in
place of the 12-hour arrangement now
in vogue.
Failures for the week number IA
against 1872 last week. 1875 in this week
year ago and 100 in 1899.
Few changes are noted in Canadian
trade. weather conditions retarding
business. Failures are few and unim-
portant. and an active months trade is
looked for in June because of the small
business done in May. Crops in Ontario
look well and n very large wheat crop
is indicated. Montreal reports demand
for summer goods interfered with by
cool weather. Toronto reports the gen
eral trade outlook very encouraging.
The demand from Alaska has beeen
good at British Columbia points. but
Victoria reports interior trade small.
Clearings for the week aggregate $780,
6S9, 10. decrease of 10 per cent. from
last week, but gain of per cent.
over last year. Failures number Il
against "a last week, and II a year ago.