Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1904-08-13
At Present Labor Troubles Are The
Serious Drawbacks.
CROP PROSPECTS VERY GOOD.
The Outlook, While Cheerful Enough
in the Main, Needs Definite Assur
ances of Good Crops and a Settle
ment of Labor Difficulties.
New York. Aug. Sums Review

New York, Aug. S.-Dun's Review
of trade says.
Labor controversies are the seri-
Gus drawbacks in business most 9TH
er important factors tending toward
Improvement. Despite some reduc-
ton in the yield of wheat, crop pros
poets are most encouraging, and the
loss in quantity Of wheat promises to
be fully Offset by higher prices, so
that the agricultural communities will
be in a position to purchase commodi-
ties freely. Delayed orders of iron
and steel products are being placed
and at wooden mills there is a nota-
bic increase in activity. Railway earn
ings in July were only "a lower than
a year previous and at many cities
there is evidence of returning conf
dence. But several strikes are in pro-
gress, and this, together with others
under consideration initiate against
the resumption of normal conditions
in trade and manufacture. Foreign
commerce at this port for the last
week shows a decrease of 81, 407, ASS
in exports and loss of S3,230,115 in
imports as compared With the same
time last year, the latter being par
TALLY responsible for the loss in fed
eraI revenue.
Tanners are seeking hides in good
condition on which the supply is short,
as those taken off by unskilled hands
since the strike began are badly cut
and are offered at concessions.
Failures this week in the United
States are 90, against 220 last week, q
the previous week, and 178 the CORES
ponding week of last year. Failures
in Canada are Is against Is last week,
20 the preceding week and II last
year.
Bradstreet's Review.
Business and industrial conditions
are still irregular and render general
ization as to the future difficulty. Con-
tinued good reports from the corn crop
and absolutely brilliant condition in
cotton, tend to Offset undeniably dis
appointing results in the premier GER
cal, wheat. Dispatches to Bradstreet
indicate an appreciate enlargement
in the distribution Of merchandise at
western points, collections show a
slight gain, and southern advices,
buoyed by good crop advices, are op-
timistic. The iron trade, too, is
showing Improvement, and even BIZ
luminous coal is looking up. Other
basic industries, however, are not so
favorably situated. A few large strikes
are responsible for much idIeness in
different industries. Altogether the
outlook, while cheerful enough in the
main needs definite assurances of
good crops and of the settlement of
labor conditions.
Wheat, including -four, exports for
the week ending August aggregate
1,379,198 bushels, against 1,613, 265 last
week; 3,O40,629 for this week year
ago, 4,244,363 in 1902, and 1881 ,199 in
1901. From July L to date the exports
aggregate, 6,565,372 bushels against
15,O47,259 last year. 2O,794,2O3 in
1902, and 32,5O7,145 in 1901.
Corn exports for the week aggre-
gate 273,365 bushels against 415,844
last week, 884,428 a year ago, TO-
GIL in 1902, and SCOTIA in 1901. From
July 1 to. date the exports of corn ag-
gregate 2,583. 900 bushels, against g.
242,O93 in 1903, 494,339 in 1902, and
7,224,413 in 1901.