The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-20
INDUSTRIAL UNREST
HOLDS BACK TRADE
Seasonal Expansion Continues
but Pace Is Slow, Say
Business Reviews.
SITUATION STILL STRONG
Deterrent Influence of Labor
Troubles Is Discernible
in Many Lines.

The seasonal expansion Of bushes. M.
tivities continues but its pace IL r,ov
because Of Industrial unrest, ACCORDING
to weekly trade reviews which will n.
issued to-day and which assert that har.
ring labor troubles, the trade Situation
Is apparently nearly as strong as IL wa,
in midsummer.
Dun's Revfeto says in part: 'rWbl.
some troubles have been adjusted or
averted. various strikes continue and
others are threatened. as at iron and
steel establishments, and their deterrent
influence Is plainly dlscernible Not only
Is there less disposition among soma In.
terests to close impending deals wbIIs
the future is 30 uncertain, but enforced
suspension Of operations through labor
controversies tends to restrain productior
at a time when the fullest possible ont.
puts are essential to reduce the dspro.
portion between demand and SUNNY
which exists in many quarters.
against the calls for more goods with
which to meet current extensive reouIre-
ments there come frequent reports from
widely separated sections of total or mar
tial stoppage of work that results from
disagreements over wages or emplovmen,
conditions and which aggravate delavs
In deliveries, and not a few important
commitments are Of necessity being held
in allegiance. The effect on prices of ths
restriction of manufacturing Is not IN.
considerable, and while the crest of soma
leading markets apparently has been
passed, downward readjustments are less
general and rapid than would be II maxi-
mum running of machinery were prar.
ticable. 1t is remarkable that business
remains so large and that 30 much on.
umism Is manifested. Even with greater
Industrial unsettlement than ever before
known, with prices still at levels that
would ordinarily curtail buying, with
continued Generalization in foreign er.
change, there is an unmistakable In
crease of transactions. Record bank
clearings of last year are being regularly
exceeded"
B1ddstreet's says in part: Under ,hs
Impetus of fall and winter buying. which
seems to be in full swing West and
South and to have gained In volume
at the East, trade is large and at
some centres of record volume. This
refers more particularly to lines cater.
ing to or handling wearing apparel
which leads all others. but includes au.
'AAoDAcS, Jp"Shyb luEHlIure ana mouse
furnishings Of all kinds. Least active
or hesitating lines seem to be grouped
Under the head OF foods, which with
lumber and the metal trades refle,t mast
agitation or fear of future unsettlement
due to strikes, and buyers are inclined
to purchase carefully.
In food lines, although prices stu
tend to sag. there seems to be something
like an approach to price sterilization,
and In other lines the effect Of the acute
price agitation of August seems to be
gradually fading. From practically
every market, but especially from the
West. come complaints that merchau.
disc is scarce and that deliveries on Or
ders are only partial and there is very
general disposition to hold inefflciency OF
manufacturing labor responsible fsr
sfo1f&ges. Aided by hot, dry weathe.
and'absence of frosts the bulk of the
corn crop is out OF danger and a larxe
yield is certain.
The apparent cloud on the trade sit
uation, but one which does not seem to
check buying, aside from lines directly
affected. is the continued unrest In labor
lines. Here, despite promise OF alleged
truce pending the labor conference, tho
threat is made Of countrywide strike
OF steel workers next Monday. Accom-
panytng this are new strikes in building
trades, notably at st. Louis. and threats
Of tteup Of prj5t,nS>and publishing in
dustries at New York"