The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-18
Ex11usisv Neus BY Special cutie From The Gapit0z
Bv Percivd1 Phillips.
BELFAST, Aug. Ia.

RI
A PRoM1NEN manufactures told
IL me today that 1T will take years for
Belfast to recover the trade lost
since the strike began. All branches of
business have been affected. and some OF
the most important Industries OF the
,7ulsLer capital well-nigh crippled.
! The milling industry has been Mt a
standstill since the July holidays, and the
/ price of -four must inevitably increase
Most OF the grain comes from America.
Canada ana Australia. n small. proper
I ton from Liverpool and the bulk of 1t Is
| dealt with for supply to Ireland.
/ But supplies are being exhausted. Three
! large ships, with full cargoes OF grain,
are lying In the harbor, unable to dis
! charge In consequence OF this blockade
! the Liverpool stores are congested. and
! further orders for Belfast -four cannot
be received American and Scotch MILL
ers are already profiting by the helpless
| ness of their Ulster competitors, ana
| shipping flour to the north of Ireland.
| Even now there Is n shortage OF good
| flour In Belfast, and the bakers are, am
/! told forced to resort TO inferior quality
| for bread Moreover, freights have risen
| on shipments via Dublin, so that the
| local congestion cannot be relieved IN that
/. way. Various foodstuffs are affected; tor
Iexample, the price OF linseed CAKE mas
| risen CO n ton.
| No one believes that there Will actually
he bread famine In Belfast, but the
| millers have undoubtedly suffered heavy
| loss through the complete paralyZation OF
/ the lockers and carriers services. Extra
! ordinary efforts have been made to se-
lcure supplies but as l write, they have
lbeen unable to reach any arrangement FOR
unloading the grain ships accommodating
lin tho port.
Exports as well as imports are held up.
tThe great linen houses have difficulty
lin filling orders, and In this connection
!America suffers especially. One OF the
largest firms driven to desperation by
their inability to ship goods. finally dis
patched slxty-one cases to New York by
|carting them through the streets In the
middle Of the night. The head of the
firm rode on the motor-lorry himself, and,
1.-THE strike pickets being asleep, the goods
were struggled away safely.
4 Merchant Carriers.
Another firm tried the Same method,
4 and succeeded in making one shipment;
5Ibut a second vanload was accidentally
delayed until daylight. when the plckets
lcame on duty. But for the prompt re-
threat of the lorry, it would have been
Overturned and the contents destroyed.
/ The linen trade Is also suffering from
the lack of raw materials and accessories
/ usually imported from Lancashire. Thou
sands of pounds worth or supplies have
Ibeen damaged on the quays where in
looming shipments are piled high in hope
Hess confusion. Police-escorted clerks.
/ temporarily transformed into carriers
tumble the packing cases about intent on
securing what belongs to their firm, and
caring nothing for the rest.
Most of the carriage to and from the
linen houses has been in the hands of
contractors, whose men went on strike.
q The unfortunate clerks who supplantet
them have been subjected to continual
groans and abuse as they drive through
4 the busy streets in seml-state, with their
uniformed escort 1t Is most pathetic to
SEQ q mild, middle-aged accountant, ba-
4 spectacled and quite harmless. sitting on
a van in an obviously apologettc attitude,
land gazing with mute appeal Mt several
Hundred callous and rather grimy strik-
ers. who lombard him with quaystde cpl
lthets.
1t is not a pleasant manner in which TO
Ilspend ones holiday, but from Indications
Iir is about all the holiday the majority
of the Belfast clerks will set this summer.
pleasure taunts.
Ginger Beer Famine.
\ Belfast is the great center of the aerated
| water industry, the peculiar quality Of the
water making 1t especially suitable for
this purpose. Like other Industries, this
/ is suffering from congestion of supplies.
There is plenty of raw material here.
but extreme difficulty is experienced In
i . 4 rs IL