Business Interests

SiHKS will be cheapcr tban ever, the cocoon erop in Franco being very large, Baltuioke papers say the indications of nu eariy f all trado aro apparent in the business quarters of that city, the stocks accumulated largely exceeding those of previous years. Thb New York Herald thinks the fall trade oí that city will be the largest since 1873. ïhe sale of merchandise ia already umisnally largo and of a cliaracter for every-day eonsumption. So many new vessels are building in England, especially steamers, that the English shipping brokers say that they begin to fear that tlie oftrrying trade of the world is being largely overdone. ïhe commerce f the country in 1872 and 1873 was the largest ever known. For the year onding Juno 30, 1877, it amounte'd to $1,149,550,662, yery nearly the f uil aggregate of the heaviest years. A Baltimoke paper reports tliat the Baltimore and Ohio road is anticipating a greater demand for freight facilities this fall than for several seasons past. Additional freight cars are being constructed by the company, and the force of hands has been largely increased and the time extended. The Chicago Tribune is exceedingly happy over the local trade outlook. It takes great comfort from the fact that the farmers of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Kansas will have at least 50,000,000 bushels moro wheat to sell than last j'ear; that the average ability of the farmers in these States to buy goods will be at least GO per cent. greater than last yeiir ; and that the home manfacturing interest s are increasing this year in spite of the hard times at the rate of from 15 to 25 per cent. over last year in nearly ali of the most important branches of manufacture. The Chicago Tribune reports that in that city " the avalanche of grain from the country has put a new face on everything. The railroads aro now full of business, and thousands of idle men have been set at work. All the lake vessels are in demand for the grain trado; extra men at increased wages are set at work loading aud navigating thom; orders for goods from the country are coming in, and this is beginning to work xvp trade among the merchante, and, of course, that sets idle men at work boxing, packing, carting and handling. Altogether matters are rapidly brightening, and the auspices are all favorable for a good fall's trade." MUI, Shop and Labor Notes. Both Burlington, Iowa, and Monmouth, 111., are working to secure the location of rolling milis at those planes. Ak iron company has lately been organized in Hocking county, Ohio, with a capital stock of L1 00, 000, to work some of the coal and iron interest of that locality. The Delaware and Hudson Canal Company have decided to mortgage all thoir Pennsylvania property, including coal lands, for $10,000,000, to meet forthcoming obligations. Severad Indianapolis carpenters who went to London, Eng., some time ago, are satisfied with their prospecte. Wages they report at L2 a week, say $10, and work plentiful. State Mine Inspector Rot is now in the Mahoning valley, Ohio, iustituting suite against some of the mine-owners iti that región for violation of the mining laws in not providing proper escapes for miners. The wages paid to employés of the Michigan Central road have been adjusted and graduated upon a soale approved by the workmen themselves. In a very few instanees a small percentage wns taken from the salaries paid at present and heretofore, but as a rule the pay was increased, the advance ranging from 4 to 12 per cent. The ndvance will probably average 6 per cent. The employés express themselves satisfled with the new scale. The outlook in the coal and iron trades in Scotland is reported aa far from encouragiug, and a winter of severo trial and suffering is nntieipated. The ironmasters in the west of Scotland have resolved to reduco their productions by about one-third the usual supply, the reason for this step betng alleged to be the prolonged dullness of trade aud the vory low prioes at which pig-iron is being sold. Tl) e practical import of this will be that about one-third of all the furnaces in Scotland will be stopped. In the Iron Age w find a statement of the conilition of the blast furnaces in he United States on the lst of Jiily, vliich wc condense ns follows: Charcoal urnaces iu binst, eighty-seven, with a weekly capacity of 7,730 tons; anthra;U oighty-soveu, capacity, 17,442 tons; jituminous coal or coke, eighty-flve, oapnoity, 20,660 tons; totnl uumber in jlnst, 259 fnrnaces, with a weekly capacity of 45,832 tons. Charcoal furnaces out of blast, 181, weekly capacity, 12,544 :ons; anthracite, 139, capacity, 24,468 cons; bituminous coal or coke, 123, capacity, 26,455 tons; total number out of jlast, 443 furnaces, with a weekl r capacity of 63,467 tons.