Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-01-02
YEAR WAS PROSPEROUS ONE


Reports to Bradstreet's regarding
the state at large and general sum.
mary OF conditions that have prevail.
ed during the year inst closed shou
'h"t with the exception Of the las,
wv ''oh'hs all Industries and MGR.
'antiIc interests were prosperous 70 r
rs 'N'e"'' AS 1t is the year com
'"'eS wei win previous ones Th,
No'"'he or business was not so larg,
d" III '"'", owing to stringcncv ir
money matters during latter mart n,
inc year. although the amount n,
business actually done was gratifying
Much money has been expended I'm on.
Iarging and Increasing facilities n
some cases this was taken ont of busi.
| n"ss. while in others IL was borrowo,
ana under present conditions this h.s
worked hardshps The situation
however. is largely righting itscl,
ana with return OF confidence. which
is apparent. better conditions will mr..
vail speedy recovery is not looked
Tor, although the outlook for comino
year is promising ana gradual OK.
pansion with the year is gnticlnotod
Touching upon the main Industries q,
the state. dealers in granite ronor,
very largo year; this, however has
brought with it the old problem =,
the system of credits rrevailInr IN
that line; never in the history of fin,
trade have the accounts reccivoblo
oeeh so large as at present Another
noticeable point in this line is tho
advance there has been made I'm tho
demand for granite for building pur-
poses Marble manufacturers rcpor,
heavy business in botn monumental
ana building lines. The OUTPUT Of sla,,
Tor roofing purposes has been in OK
c'sS of 1905 and the close Of 1907
shows bu little manufactured stock
on hand. Machine business vas busv
up to October. Tho labor problem
has been factor. and affected FIST
tao granite business i'm tho northern
par of the state; this was settled
within short period. but not withou.
aH"cting mercantile Industries. A
STAT" quarrNmon's strike was inaur-
urated early In tn" year. is sim unset -
tied Another strike was among
paper mill workers. Tho labor situa
ton generally mas had a tendency to-
ward keeping down the amount of
'''''F ~ ''A'l'tl d'lbUUt &c
complishod, however, compares we'll
with previous pears. heavy demand
TOR lumber prevailed ana larg. shin
m"niS were made out of the stat.
IN that respect it vas IA record period.
Othcr manufacturing interests show
up well. 1t was a record season I'm
mapl" sugar products; knit goods
business was very large carly in the
year The demand for hosiery was
heavy Wholesale firms I'm the state
show progress and among retail mcr-
chants there mas been a tendency to
work towards the cash basis" plan.
COLLECTIONS have been slow during the
latter part of year. Failure statistics
show 90 voluntary bankruptcies with
total liabilities Of S113,0G9.33 and as
sets sl32,Ss2.11; there were also five
Involuntary Bankruptcies; one assign
ment and two rcc"ivcrships. Fire re-
ports show nincty-Onc with total of
III mercantile interests affected. ag-
gr"gato damage $4,000 tho month of
March recording the largest number
of fires and August the largest amount
OF damage done. only two or three
large fires We're reported The records
show fftY-seven new corporations
formed with aggregate capital of 81
10000.