Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-03-26

VERMONT TRADE CONDITIONS.
AS Seen by Bradstreet's Correspondents
throughout the State.

Tho weather has continued very warm
| the past week, but there is still frost in
| the ground and i'm many places the
| roads are heavy. Conditions have been
| unfavorahlc for maple sugar and it is
predicted that mt best only a small yield
will be secured. If weather conditions
do not speedily improve. the crop will be
| almost a failure. The farmers are busy
! preparing for spring work, some blowing
| having already been done. The manufac-
! turers are very busy and orders Tor manu-
| facturod goods are freely received Pros
| poets in the departments OF business are
| very good. Collections are slow and in but
| few instances are quoted above fair, the
| scarcity Of available funds appears more
! pronounced than usual. The retail trade
| is fairly satisfactory. Notice is being
| published in local papers of applications
to sell liquor under the recent act of
the State Legislature.
The mills and factories are busy in
Burlington. The wholesale business in
groceries, tobacco. hardware. etc, remains
unchanged. Retail trade and collections
| fair. No settlement is reported from the
strike at the brush factory. April is
| awaited with considerable apprehension
| because of the attitude of the workmen
| in the lumber district who have made re-
| quests Of employers to reduce the length
| of working days at former wages. Lake
| Champaign is practically free from ice
and navigation opens Wednesday. March
%. Waterbury reports general business
| conditions favorable. The garment fac
tory and stone sheds are busy Retail
trade and collections unchanged. Local
conditions govern trade largely at White
| River Junction. The railroads are doing
| a large business at this point and trade is
| improved in consequence; the business sit
uation here is satisfactory. Tho machine
shops at Springfield are very busy and
| trade is good; labor is we'll employed.
| collections as usual The paper mills at
Fellows Falls are busy with good pros
poets; other manufacturing concerns are
| busy, retail trade and collections good.
! The marble mills at Rutland are doing a
| large business. retail trade Is fairly good,
| collections a. usual. The strike against
| the machine shops continues. but the sit
uation has become complicated as suit
| has been brought in the courts by manu-
! facturers against some of the individual
| strikers for damages growing out of the
| labor trouble. The interest i'm gold de-
posts in Readsboro continues and tho
town. Friday, voted to exempt a local
! company from taxation for a period of
years. At present no mine is being work
ed. hut 1t is expected there will tie stctiv-
ity in the gold regions when the spring
opens up. plan is also being discussed
to develop a water power, near town. of
some five thousand horse power. The
tNdlT factory Is very busy ana is employ
ing large force Of workmen. The plant
which manufactures pulp-paper ana
| boxes is also well occupied as is the fac
tory manufacturing sporting goods and
| other novelties The business situation
at this point is pronounced prosperous
| Pennington reports the mills ana factor
les busy, retail trade and collections good
Tho demand for help by different employ
crS indicates an active business Retail
trade is reported good at Brattlchoro
collections about fair There appears tc
be no particular change in general con.
ditions at this point.
The granite sheds at WILLIAMSBURG are
well employed, retail trade good, colcc.
tons fair, 81. Johnsbury reports norma
conditions to prevail. The scale works
are busy, retail trade good and collection.
about fair Barre reports considerable
activity among the granite sheds and the
pleasant weather has enabled the quarry
men to fill orders for stock. Retail trad,
as usual, collections fair. The SLATE bust.
ness at West Pawlet Is very satisfactory
retail trade and collections fair. Mapl,
sugar is almost total failure. All IN,
factories at Newport are working to tn,
full capacity and are behind with orders
retail trade quiet. collections rather hard
money is tight. The spring has opcnc,
up very early curtailinQ lumber OUTPUT
to some extent. The farmers have be-
gun making sugar and had one run o
sap, but the weather is so warm at pres
ent that they are not making any.