Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 September 1902 — COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL

~ ~ ~1 "Industrial activity is NBV lOrl neater than at any recent ' ’date. Many new factories and mills have been added to the productive capacity, facilities are being increased at old plants, and idle shops resumed through the settlement of -labor controversies. A coke blockade still exists, the railways being unable to handle the output, which is above all records and in urgent request. Despite the rapid development of transportation facilities the nation’s needs have grown still faster and the situation is distressing for shippers and consumers. Large crops are being harvested and the greater abundance of foodstuffs caused a decline in prices of commodities during August of 3.5 per cent, as measured by Dun’s index number. Retail trade is large, with a bright outlook for the future in jobbing and wholesale business. There are few of the cancellations so numerous at this time last year, while collections are improving. An advance of 22.9 per cent in bank exchanges at New Y’ork over thei same week last year cannot be explained by speculation, as dealings in stocks wer< also heavy in 1901. Railway earnings it August exceeded last year’s by 4.2 pei cent and those of 1900 by 18.1 per cent.’ R. G. Dun & Co.’s Weekly Review ol Trade makes the foregoing summary Continuing, the review says: Although the weekly capacity of ph iron furnaces in blast on Sept. 1 was re ported as 335,189 tons by the Iron Age it has since been appreciably curtailei by the inadequate supply of fuel, oi which account numerous furnaces W»r blown out, or at least banked. Jjs con sumptive requirements are increasing i is necessary to place orders abroad mor extensively, and in some cases, the entir output of foreign plants has been secured Not only raw material but billets aw even rails are sought in other markets German mills offering the best terms ii most cases. Heavy importations hav prevented further advance in quotation! but domestic producers have a ready mai ket for their output, contracts still rui ning far into the future. Railways ar in great need of new locomotives an other equipment. Grain and Flour Exports. Bradstreet’s says: Wheat, including flour, exports for th week ending Sept. 11 aggregate 5,444,14 bushels, against 6,276,299 last week, 6 648,609 in this week last year and 4,665 982 in 1900. Wheat exports since Jul 1 aggregate 50,101,742 bushels, again! 68,341,271 last season and 34,985,833 i 1900. Corn exports aggregate 91,51 bushels, against 21,196 last week, 777 831 last year and 2,402,786 in 1900. F< the fiscal year exports are 931,351 busl els, against 11.521,576 last season an 37,657,036 in 1900.

~ In the world of commerc ClllCdQO. attention is being direct! towards the Northwes where the extremely light movement < Spring wheat to market has come to be* consideration of great importance. It not that the movement has been iighti than for the past five weeks, but th. this fact continuously passed over as condition only temporary and due to gi way on the first several successive da of good weather, has been viewed mo; leriously now that it is the middle - September and there is as yet no sat! factory increase. In the mammoth Minneapolis elevatd: with capacity for carrying 35,000,0 bushels, there is to-day 1,318,663 bush< of wheat. The millers are still taki: everything in the grade wheat that com in, and elevator men have found no st plus with which to fill their houses. Th wheat will come in very soon in larj quantity is the expectation. : The government weekly report was ! vorable. Frosts have occasioned sot alarm and a little of a scare worked ii the speculative markets ini cereals, I everything still standing is so close maturity that it is doubtful if any dams serious enough to change the supply o look materially, is possible at this It date. The country in its entirety presei a view encouraging in the extreme.