Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-04-17
WEEKLY
VERMONT TRADE REPORT.

Reports to Bradstreets for the week in
summarizing trade conditions for the past
month and for the arst quarter OF the
year show good demand for labor and
manufacturing plans fully as we'll EN-
Woyod as is usual FOR this period of the
year The condition among machine
manufacturing interests in the State
Indicate a more prosperous condition than
WAS shown at the commencement Of the
year Grante manufacturers are en-
ployed to- capacity and report u large
amount Of business on hand, with the
nllicE up of orders, prices are reported
az being little iirmer. The demand for
marble is good 70" both building and
monumental work. while among the slate
interests reports show an improved con
dition, There is a larger demand for
slate for iutero" work, also roofing slate
is being called for moro freely In the
slate belt there is noted difficulty in OPP
Grating queries by reason of water that
has accumulated but by the end of an
other week it IS expected all of the quar-
rits will 30 in good working condition.
The excessive amount of rainfall dur
ing the past month, which recorded a rec
ord period, did its most damage to rail-
read traffic and some Inconvenience has
been reported during the past few weeks
by reason of delayed shipment of freight.
The demand for building material has
improved and outlook for new building
work is better than it was at the COM
mcncement of March. The production of
maple sugar. so far. is below normal and
as there was little if any of the old crop
l..
duccrs have taken ADVANTAGE Of this and
the prices for both sugar and syrup are
much increased.
Among the retail merchants the first
quarter Of the year has been Gisappoint-
ing Weather conditions interfered with
the moving Of heavier clothing and dry
goods with the result there is an accuuu-
lation in some Instances. Buying for the
future as a whole is conservative. Col
lccucns arr reported slow. Included in
the failure reports for the month Of March
were five voluntary bankruptcies and
three assignments Seven failures We're
reported during the month of March, 1912
The total number of failures for the first
quarter of this year numbered three as
slSnmCnts, two compromise offers and
fourteen voluntary bankruptcies with to-
tai liabilities of Sld5. 20 and assets of
Mol,3,i.H by way Of comparison the first
quarter in 1872 gave a total of fifteen
failures with liabilities of the twelve vol
uutary hankrupts oc sG4,OitoS and assets
of Sl995.4t In the past seven years the
INST quarter of the present year showed
the largest amount of liabilities of any of
thpS' years, although there were a fail
ufcS FOR the first quarter in 1910.
Damage done by fire during the month
OF March this year was $SO,l5O resulting
if"n town fires affecting Il firms. This
damage was e. per cent. less than that
recorded In February. The FIRST quarter
OF inc present year recorded 81 fires at
I'etlng AZ firms, with an aggregate dam
IKE u S-Nl'h The first quarter OF 1912
CAV" % fires affecting 50 firms with total
damage of s95, 4GG The 80 fires affecting
INNS with an aggregate damage of
>'l"'--' FOR the first quarter 1910 was the
largest recorded during the past seven
years Tor the period of the first three
months of those years. Damage done by
moods ana high water is the largest on
record but the greater part Of loss was
sustained by railroads and not individuals.
merchants or firms