Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 104, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 August 1904 — COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL

Qondltions of trade in Chicago the Chicago district are weekly review as follows: Despite the extension of labor controversies business generally exhibits more strength and widening activity. The hindrances recently interposed have become less disturbing and seem likely "to make an early disappearance. Notwithstanding the injury to spring wheat, it is notable that simultaneously with the government crop report there developed a beter demand for factory products and necessities. Metal branches are making larger output in both finished material and pig Iron, and the new business coming forward reaches a larger aggregate for combined foundry and railroad use. The movement of grain shows gratifying growth and there is heavier lake carrying of ore, fuel and forest products. Visiting buyers were more numerous in the distributive markets and wholesale houses gained in their bookings for fall delivery, good orders being placed in dry goods, woolens, clothing and footwear. Retail trade sljghtly exceeded the previous week’s and presented an encouraging tendency. Mercantile collections in the Middle West were fairly pTompt and defaults decreased. Failures in the Chicago district number twenty-five, agaiust thirty-one last week and sixteen a year ago.

Reports to the InternaNew York. tional Mercantile Agency - from commercial centers indicate distribution of merchandise in the West and South, with an excellent outlook for a brisk fall trade. Adverse factors, such as strikes and crop damage, while curtailing local business in Some parts of the country, have not been generally effective, interfering little witli~business as a whole. For these reasons the outlook is encourag® ing, although trade may remain-quiet until after election, when the outlook for the fall can be more clearly discerned. Conditions in the West are especially satisfactory. Jobbers in dry goods, clothing, shoes and men’s and women's, apparel are preparing for a heavy fall business. Advance orders are satisfactory and the outlook is regarded as encouraging. Increased travel to Rt. Louis is stimulating trade in districts tributary to that center, with the result that wholesalers are booking larger orders than usual. In territory affected by the excitement over the reported damage to wheat certain branches of business have shown some falling off, although the decrease has not been important or much below the voliyne in sight at this date a year ago. The South shows up well, with reports of excellent business at Louisville and in the surrounding country, which appears to be unusually prosperous. Dry goods in that section hold firm, with few price changes and collections satisfactory. Although quiet, the boot and shoe industry shows a heavier movement than last year, and increased orders for manufactured tobacco indicate strong conditions in the trade. Pittsburg reports a revival of hope in the iron trade owing to better inquiry for future deliveries and gradually stiffening prices. Far-reaching disturbance is not expected to follow .the cut in billet prices which one producing concern this week promulgated, and unless unforeseen obstacles are encountered there will be disruption of the so-called billet pool. Conditions in general confirm the reassurance derived from the Iron Age’s sum-! mary of July pig iron production, showing a falling off of 209,236 tons for the month. Owing to the interference of the lake strike coal tonnage is heavy, with indications that the decrease in spring business may b(f made good. -