Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 December 1887 — TRADE AND LABOR. [ARTICLE]

TRADE AND LABOR.

Philadelphia Record. The power-loom? of modern times hafl not yet baniehed the ancient handloom. The process of manufacturing gas from water at Los Augeiea, Cal., is a magnificent success. Im bright, steady light haabeen pronounced a great improvemet over electricity. Minnesota capitalists are-considering the construction of ane w railroad r o the i’acific coast. In Kentucky nearly $10,000;000 is being expended upon new railroads originating in Louisville. Immense coal fields, forty-five miles above Bismarck, Dakota, are to be developed next spring. v East Chicago is to be built up with extensive car manufactories, steel plants and slaughtering establishments. A great deal of small house build’ng has been done this year and will be done next year in all of • the Western States. f It is feared that a be es panic and high prices will lesult from the reckless sales that ranchmen ar * making in order to meet their debts.

A mill out in Michigan, is- making fancy cassimere. New England cannot monopolize the textile business. Other textile mills are projected in Michigan. A strong movement is being made by inventors to bring about a patent reform, and a bill has been prepared to ask for the establishment of a commission to revise all patent jaws of the United States. Lumber commands a good price on account of the enlarging demand. A great deal of it is coming from the South. Stocks are not large even in primary T»ai«.ets, but a very heavy win’er’s cat will be The end of the cotton-picking season in the South has made all kinds of common labor plentiful, and employers can have it at almost their own price. Northern laborers who go down there find themselves in hard lines in competition with cotton-picking labor. The demand for all kinds of skilled and unskilled abor in all parts of the United States dill continues, and the prospe-.’ are that it will continue, especially throughout the northern states, as long as the weather shall permit the prosecution of outside undertakings. The iron and steel workers have the busiest winter’s work ahead of them they have ever had, although two railmills have shut down within afew days On the other hand, new rolling mills, pipe mills, steel-works and blast furnaces are coming in, to say’ notning of the longlist-offflna I lef‘iFohr^Tid' : ''steeTcon-’ suming establishments. The boot and shoejworkmen will have a busier winter than they had last year. At this time some fifteen or twenty new shops are either under construction or projected. The weavers and spinners will be working ten to eleven hours per day right straightThlroughTtKe winter, and will turn out not less than 10 per cent, nlore goods than were turned out last winter. The upward tendency in several lines of -dry goods has encouraged manufacturers, who for the past two months have been creeping .along slowly. The papermakers throughout the country have been slacking a little, trying to keep supply‘and demand about equal, so that they can get a little more money, but book-paper has been hammered down and is, still low. A. good many imple-m,ent-works in the West have suddenly came to a short turn. Several stove foundries are running about threefourths time. Both of these branches expect new orders before the holidays sufficient to drive the fifty-five hours a week through the winter. The cigarmakers, especially throughout the Bust, are busy, and the relations between them and their employers are more friendly than ever before. The building trades have had a remarkable year. There has been no time at which-build-ers could not obtain more contracts than they had. and workmen have been at all times able to find employment. There is a great deal of work yet to be done, both outside and inside, - and painters, decorators, blumbers, babindt makers and workmen engaged in fitting up electrical appliances have the assurance of their employers that there will he. no idletime this winter, especially in the larger cities. 'T - '