Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1903 — COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL [ARTICLE]

COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL

"7 ~ ~l ‘‘Fuel shortage is still 118 V IOrK. ie oue seriously disturbing —— element in the industrial situation. Transportation facilities have been diverted from other merchandise, to the disadvantage of shippers, yet iron furnaces are unable to secure sufficient supplies of coke, and many other manufacturing plants are closed because of inadequate coal deliveries. Mines are more fully operated, but there is no prospect of normal conditions until spring.” The foregoing is from the Weekly Trade Review of 11. G. Dun & Co. It continues: Extremely low temperature during the last week stimulated distribution ot heavy clothing and other seasonable goods. Retail trade was accelerated by the customary clearkpce sales, especially in dry goods and kindred branches. Traveling men are sending in large orders for spring goods, the volume of advance business surpassing the customary amount for this time of year. Quiet conditions in the iron and steel markets do not mean dullness or diminishing consumption, but merely the oversold condition of furnaces and mills, together with great uncertainty about keeping plants active on a day to day supply of fuel. Inquiries are numerous, especially in structural lines, but makers are not w ady to accept blds until the future appears more definite. New plans constantly come forward for large office buildings, notably at the West, which means vigorous consumption of structural steel, and the demands from car builders are phenomenal. Practically the entire capacity of the leading plants is already booked for six months. Eastern manufacturers of footwear are fully employed on spring shoes, but new orders are light for later delivery, although western jobber* purchase freely of fall samples. Quiet conditions in leather have been succeeded by an increased demand for hemlock sole and standard upper, shoe manufacturers placing liberal orders. Last week's slight recovery in the hide market was not sustained. Dry goods trading has increased in volume, buyers arriving in great >r numbers, and the prospect favors still more activity in the latter half of the month. There is little disposition to anticipate wants in the cotton goods division, but immediate needs have evidently grown more pressing. In the woolen goods division the opening of piece dyes was made at an advance, but not as much as some sellers anticipated. Bradstreet’s weekly report on grain says: ■ Wheat exports since July aggregate 140,610,800 busliels. against 158,004,139 last season and 107,210.968 in 1900. Corn exports aggregate 2,394.612 bushels, against 2.856.986 last week, 298.093 a year ago and 5,184,550 in 1901. For the fiscal year exports are 15,978,018 bushels, against 21.255,447 last season and 108,935,495 in 1901. “ The wheat market sliowCll'CdQO. swat strength and made a a material advance during the week. Conditions favored strength and the advance appears warranted. There were reports of good business at the seaboard and large sales of wheat and flour to go out later to Europe. Here in America, and more especially in the Northwest, sentiment has favored higher prices for some time. But the foreign markets, Liverpool especially, would not follow the advances on this side. With a good crop in sight in Argentina wheat Importers in Liverpool are slow to anticipate their wants, and will naturally hold off as long as possible. During the weak there was evidence that there was wheat needed abroad for immediate use. At present it looks as if there would be demand from Liverpool for good American wheat in any event, while if it should develop that the Argentina crop is not so large or the quality not so good as lias been figured upon, the demand for American wheat would Ik* great.