Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 April 1903 — COMMEPCIAL AND FINANCIAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMEPCIAL AND FINANCIAL

„ | "Irregularity In retail •N6V YOrlL tra<le Is due to weather - conditions. At most points ah early season stimulates business, but in other sections there has been interruption from excessive rain*. More uniform activity is reported in wholesale trade, with a notably large movement of groceries, millinery, paper and builders’ materials, while conditions are aatiafactory for the season in jewelry. Manufacturers of clothing, furniture, footwear and iron and steel are well engaged, ample supplies of fuel greatly facilitating operations, but extensive strikes threaten to render idle many New England textile mills.” The foregoing is from the Weekly Trade Review of R. G. Dun & Co. It continues: The cut of spruce lumber has been large, but early breaking up of winter restricted movement and high cost of labor and provisions rendered operations expensive. Early opening of lake navigation will benefit business, and the railway traffic embargo will be removed. Earnings of railways thus far reported for March exceed last year’s by 12.8 per cent and surpass those of 1901 by 22.9 per cent. An output of about 300,000 tons of coke in the whole Connellsville region for the last week indicates that fuel troubles are almost ended in the iron and steel industry. Quotations are sustained by the vigorous home consumption, and there is the additional support of strong er markets abroad. Work is resumed on bridges and buildings wherever the places of strikers can be filled, and several contests in this department have been averted. A large opening trade in pipe has been followed by liberal supplementary orders, jobbers renewing contracts extensively, and prices are well maintained. Sharp competition for business in bar iron lias caused a slightly lower level of prices, while plates and sheets are firmer, especially in galvanized line*. A prominent feature of activity is found in merchant steel for agricultural implement works and wagon factories, these orders running far into the future. Oversold conditions at rail mills are sending urging orders abroad.

No improvement has appeared in the dry goods market. The situation is peculiarly complicated as to cotton goods; stocks ahe light as a rule and labor troubles threaten to curtail output, yet jobbers are reluctant to undertake contracts at present quotations. Meanwhile producers are in no position to make concessions, and a dull market is the result. Dullness is reported in woolen goods, with new business on • a limited scale. Cancellation of early orders has become a serious problem, many mills that had disposed of their product fqr the season now seeking business.. Jobbers are placing large orders for fall delivery of shoes, readily paying the recent advance in prices, and manufacturers of heavy goods have booked more business than is customary at this early date. Leather is 'quiet, but low stocks maintain prices. At last the turning point has been reached in domestic hides, and prices have steadied, which is due to the sdmewhat better condition of receipts. Failures this week numbered 214 in the United States, as against 205 last year, and 26- in Canada, against 22 a year ago. Bradstreet’a Grain Figures. Wheat, including flour, exports for the week ending March 26 aggregate 2,401,987 bushels, against 2,395,598 last week, 2,904,110 In this week a year ago and 4,494,335 in 1901. Wheat exports since July 1 aggregate 172,448,815 bushels, against 194,398,707 last season and 150,967,698 in 1900. Com exports aggregate 8,618,210 bushels, against 3,072,068 last week. 139,205 a year ago and 3,582,943 In 1901. For the fiscal year exports are 44,505,468 bushels, against 24,133,906 last season and 145,171,063 in 1901.