The Washington herald., 1906-11-10
LACK OF LABOR FELT
High Wages Fail to Secure
Enough Hands for Mills.
ELECTION MAKES WEEK DULL
Trade Conditions in General Up to
Previous Weeks, but Less Interest
in Cotton GoOds-IrOn and steel In
dustry shows UnexGmpled Pros
perity-BrOadening Looked For.

New York. Nov 9.-Dun & Co.'S
weekly review of trade tomorrow VIII
say:
Business experienced the customary IN
terruption during election week. but
more permanent retarding Influence was
the inadequate supply Of freight cars and
labor. Many industries are severely
handicapped by traffic delays, raw ma
terials and fuel coming to the factories
in a most unsatisfactory manner.
In other cases there is idle machinery
because hands cannot be secured, despite
the high wages offered. This difficulty
threatens to reduce the lumber cut ma
terlally.
Several strikes are threatened and one
railway system alone has advanced
wages to the extent of a million dollars
monthly.
Retail trade is well maintained by lower
temperature in some sections Of the
country. and the fun employment Of
labor at all points. while wholesale busi-
ness in holiday goods is very heavy.
Manufacturing returns show unequaled
prosperity in the iron and steel industry,
footwear factories are busy on shipping
lines and textile mills are well employed.
although the decline in raw materials has
temporarily checked purchases in priina-
" markets for cotton goods. Tardy de
liveries still cause complaint in the iron
and steel industry, unprecedented pro
duction by the finishing mills falling be
hind the requirements of consumers.
Cotton Goods ListIess.
Less interest Is shown in the primary
market for cotton goods, although there
is a fair volume of business in progress.
The persistent reaction in raw material
has had influence at last. buyers now be
lieving that concessions must follow a
period of Indifference on their part Hides
are in good demand at steady prices. tan
ners seeking supplies of current sailing
to carry over the coming season Of poor
quality. Transactions are heavy, because
both packers and purchasers seem salts
fed with current quotations. whereas eff
forts to secure concessions might check
the movement. Interrupted movement of
grain TO primary markets. and the cOnse-
quent restriction Of foreign business. as
we'll as activity of Northwestern flour
mills checked the inward tendency Of
quotations and caused some reaction.
Dispatches 10 Dun's review from branch
offices OF r. G. Dun & Co indicate a heavy
movement OF merchandise and active
plans for further broadening of trade.
Commercial failures this week in the
United Staes as reported are ~, against
$50 last week. 204 the preceding week, and
1S3 the corresponding week last year.
Bradstreet's Report.
In its weekly review of trade Brad
streets tomorrow viii say:
Greater confidence resulting from the
elections. marked advances in wages Of
employees OF railroads. greatly improved
collections. large hHing-in orders. indi-
eating heavy consumption, good business
on spring account, a continued scarcity
Of labor, and record breaking outputs Of
iron and steel. are pre-emineut features
of the week
Weather conditions. except in portions
of the Northwest. have been quite favor
able; retail trade has been active, recorder
business from jObbers has been larger
than ordinary, and wholesalers report
heavy orders for spring delivery. As for
a long time past, however. complaints Of
slow deliveries on orders are almost uni
NeISal-COLLOn. uTF goods, lumDeTs coal,
and iron and steel dealers all complain
ing.
Car congestion explains some Of this
and with present prices Of grain accounts
for slow movement from the farm. but
scarcity OF labor is reported largely re-
sponsible for the backward deliveries Of
dry goods.
The rapid movement of cotton, due to
the late advance, has complicated the
Southern transportation problem. as has
also the lack Of labor to pick the crop
which has been favored with good wealth
er at a critical period.
Industry presents as active an appear
ance as ever, and labor is getting high re-
turns an example of this being afforded
by advances of 10 per cent in wages by a
number OF leading railways
All in all, The situation Is one Of inn
mense activity and Of eager demand. de-
spite the fact that prices of staples gen
orally show advancing tendencies, and in
dex numbers are at the highest point for
at least twenty years.
GETS THREAT nv TFATT