Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 November 1903 — COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL

Special telegrams regarding the state of trade from correspondents of the International Mercantile Agency throughout the United Sta-—i and Dominion of Canada are summarized as follows: The week has been marked by a somewhat unsettled feeling and renewed conservatism in commercial circles. Distribution of staples is smaller than a week ago at Chicago, and materially so at Pittsburg, where industrial activity baa improved, except for millinery. Cooler weather has improved trade in New England, except for jobbers, where season la ended. Warm weathdr has dulled demand at Baltimore and at Louisville. Collections are rather slow in territory tributary to St. Paul, but iu the cotton regions they are growing easier. Plowmakers report a good business, but moderate collections. Kentucky has a medium tobacco crop, but prices are better than last year. Philadelphia merchant* •ay trade in staples is smaller. October lumber shipments from Minneapolis were the largest of any month this year. Encouragement is felt at the new policy of the steel trust. Consumers will no longer have to go abroad for eteeL Ten thousand tons of rails have been sold to go to China. More mills are opening and some are closing temporarily. Colorado’s coal strike offsets the settlement of Montana's copper war. Fall River’s wage cut was not altogether unexpected. Makers of prints have been losing money at late prices for material and rate of wages. But liigli cotton Is making foreign exchange fast, now that Europe is demanding all it can get regardless of price—tbe most significant financial feature of the week, with cotton, not steel, as king. - Dun’s Review, published by R. G. Dun & Co., says this of business iu Chicago and iu the West: Busiuess at the banks continues ahead of a year ago, but in some important brandies of trade curtailment appears, although not in n more marked degree than usual at this season, when there is less activity in outddor work and lake navigation becomes suspended. Weather conditions also hnve not been entirely satisfactory for a normal consumption of seasonable merchandise and a strike of street car men interfered with dealings at retail. Grain shipments, including 1,649.056 bushels of corn, reach 3.681,191 bushels, nnd are 7 per cent less than a year ago. Increasing receipts and favorable position of Argentine crops affect the general demand, and prices are again lower compared with a week ago. Live stock receipts, 287,984 bead, are 40 per cent under a year ago, when tlie total was abnormally large. Notwithstanding n tendency to withhold supplies, prices do not regain strength. Hogs declined 20 cents per hundred weight aud cattle recovered 20 cents. Demand for provisions shows dullness on export account, but has been fairly good for domestic 1 consumption.