The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-11
BRADsT7EET's REVIEW.


 morrow will say:
 Cooler weather has brought the coal supply question home to millions of peo- pie. and discussions of this has dwarfed all other matters in the public eye. There is a possibility, however, that the ten dency to exaggeration may be carried to extremes, and that a matter bad enough at best may be made worse by injudlcious talk. Special investigation by Bradstreet's correspondents at fifty cities and indus trial centers east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio and Potomac rivers seem to indicate that. aside from the damage to general business caused In the coal regions themselves by the likeness of 140.000 industrial workers, the coal strike as yet has been the cause of a much smaller displacement of industrial workers than is generally supposed Iron smelling alone of all the great industries has been seriously curtailed. though brick manufacturing has suffered, and small hand laundries have been crippled. In cluding furnace employees in eastern Pennsylvania, brickmakers in and near the Hudson valley, and a large number of coal handlers at tidewater docks, not to exceed 10000 men, or only one-seventh of the number of actual strikers, have been rendered idle. Uneasiness as to fu- ture supplies of fuel Is widely noted, and it is worth mention that the scarcity of coke at the west-this being entirely dis tinct from the anthracite shortage. and due to car shortage, complained of throughout the entire year-is displacing some industrial workers in the iron trade. Oil, both crude and Illuminating, has ad- vanced in price.
 In the northwest general activity reigns. The easier tone of raw cotton has made manufacturers more inclined to do business Stocks of cottons are small both at first and second hands Woolen goods are active at all markets.
 Aside from the fuel scarcity, 1t may be truly said that every business prospect pleases Fall jobbing. though necessarily not so active as earlier, is really better than anticipated. Recorders not difficult ty of fulfllment, indicating lack of de- pressing stocks. Spring trade advices are better than usual at this date and pre- dictions as to the coming holiday busi- ness are optimistic. The curtailment of Iron production resulted in a smaller out put for September than. in previous months, but of late the domestic output of iron has shown signs of increrasing. Imports of foreign iron and steel are large. Rails, plates and structural iron are dCtlVe, StfOiiB anu SOlu dnedu HedNliy into 1908, but tin plates, wire and nails are weak. Other industries are active.
 Flour production is about at its maxi mum and demand is good.
 Increased supplies of farm products, notably cereals. cattle and hogs and raw cotton have weakened the prices of natu- ral food products during the month of September, but manufactured food pro ducts, like butter, cheese. groceries, teas and some meats have moved higher
 Fuel of all kinds. rendered scarce by strikes and car shortages advanced heav- fly. Tobaco is higher on shorter yields.
 Wheat, including flour, exports for the week aggregate 5.645,779 bushels against 6.s7O57s last wesk and 4,719,S9S this week last year. Wheat exports since July ag- gregate 7s.13e 492 bushels against Ss,567,s44 last season.
 Corn exports aggregate 1sO.35s bushels against 14i 423 last week and 67S,246 last year
 For the fiscal year exports are 1,377,5 ,592 bushels against 14,304,sl0 last season and 47,207, 6sS in 1900.
 Business failures in the United States for the week ending Thursday October g, number ITO as against 164 last week. In Canada 20 against "A last week.