The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-08-18
By PercivaI Phillips.

business have been affected, and some of
the most important industries Of the u
ster capital well nigh crippled.
The milling industry has been at a
standstin since the July holidays, and the
price of -four must inevitably Increase.
Most of the grain comes from America.
Canada. and Australia. small proper
ton from Liverpool, and the bulk OF it is
dealt with for supply 10 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 mil
leTs are already profting by the helpless
ness Of their Ulster competitors, and ship
ping flour TO the north of Ireland.
Flour supply short.
Even now there is a shortage of good
flour in Belfast. and the bakers are am
told. forced 10 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 foodstufs are affected; for ex-
ample, the price of linseed cake has risen
e a ton.
No one believes that there viii actually
be bread famine in Belfast. but the
millers have undoubtedly suffered heavy
loss through the complete paralyzing OF
the lockers and carriers services. Extra
ordinary efforts have been made to Sc
cure supplies. but. as I write. they have
been unable TO reach any arrangement for
unloading the grain ships accommodating
in the port.
Exports, as well as imports. are held up.
The great linen houses have difficulty
in 1lling orders, and in this connection
America suffers especially. One of the
largest firms driven TO desperation by
its inability to ship goods, finally dis
patched sixty-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,
the strike pickets being asleep, the, goods
were Struggled away safely.
Strikers Destroy Shipments.
Another firm tried the same method,
and succeeded in making one shipment:
but a second vanlOad was accidentally
delayed until daylight. when the pickets
came on duty. But for the prompt re-
treat of the IOrry. 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 Of supplies have
been damaged on the qUays. where in
coming shipments are piled high in hope
less confusion. Police escorted clerks,
temporarily transformed into carriers,
II h..
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.
The unfortunate clerks who supplanted
them have been subjected to continual
groans and abuse as they drive through
the busy streets IN semi-state, with their
uniformed escort.
No Vacations for Clerks.
1t is not a pleasant manner in which to
spend ones holiday. but from the indica-
tons it is about all the holiday the ma
jority Of the Belfast clerks will get this
summer Employers are in no mood to
discuss pleasure jaunts.
Belfast is the great center of the
aerated water industry, the peculiar quail
ity Of the water making it especially
suitable for this suTpose. Like other in
dustries. this is suffering from congestion
of supplies There is plenty Of raw ma
teTiaT' here. but extreme difficulty is ex-
perienced in making shipments promptly,
and even greater difficulty In securing re-
turned 'empties" from England.
Thirsty BlackpoOl is in a terrible state
because Of the threatened interference
with its supply of holiday refreshment
Tens Of thousands of empty bottles are
accommodating on that side Of the Chan
mel because the striking carriers will not
allow them 10 be delivered here Frantic
and somewhat abusive appeals for as
sistance are received here daily from
irate BlackpOol landladies, who wish to
, know whether the stock Of ginger beer is
going to hold out, and, if not, will they
please say so, and be done with it.
Harvesting Cord Scarce.
This is also the headquarters for the
rope-making industry. Most Of the cord
used in the self-binding machinery for
harvesting comes from Belfast The har-
vest season is at hand, and orders for
rope remain unified One manufacturer
who had 100 tons accumulated for harvest
orders hired the conventional motor Iorry
and took it 10 the docks himself, at the
risk Of having both lorry and rope de-
stroyed by pickets.
1t might as well be burned in the
street as rot in the warehouse he said
10 a more cautious merchant who crfti-
cised his daring.
The ironmaking and engineering indus
tries are completely paralyzed. will
give one example. Messrs Cornbe 4.
Barber. one of the largest iron founders
and machine-makeTs in Belfast. have been
closed since July s. Their carriage has
been done by firms since black-listed, and
they cannot get access to the quays where
they have 80 tons of pig iron awaiting
removal Meanwhile their stock being
exhausted, 1900 men are idle They have,
moreover, 100 tons of finished textile ma
chinery which they cannot deliver.
Timber merchants are also among the
unemployed. Building operations are de-
layed, for it is impossible to transfer the
great piles of accumulated timber from
the quays. where they resemble barri-
cades.
Meat Curers Tied Up.
Baeon-curers are usually among the
most prosperous firms in Belfast. but they
have had TO warn the farmers through
out the north not 20 XIII any more pigs
until the strikes are settled. for it is i'm
possible 10 handle the carcssses. Business
has thus been diverted to other Irish
bacOn-curing centers. although the major
ity of farmers have simply respited their
pigs and are making no attempt to SUD-
ply the market Danish bacon factories
will thus profit
The port returns for this year vii; be
smaller than for many years. Last year.
for example, there were 12,174 tons of