Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 April 1905 — COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL

Chicago.

The weekly review ot trade published by . R. G. Dun & Co. says:

Bank exchanges as a measure of the volume of trade emphasize well-main-tained progress. A satisfactory gain is seen over the corresponding week last year, and the total for March, $863,505,533, is fully 13 per cent larger than for March, 1904, and the greatest monthly aggregate this year. Financial conditions generally are in good shape, excessive speculation being absent. Aloney now exhibits a decided tendency toward larger employment, and in assuming an important shares of the successful Japanese loan issue the city has become further creditor to foreign nations out of its increasing surplus capital. Seasonable weather proved an incentive to business operations and activity became more widely diversified, spring merchandising and construction being proqiinent features. New demands liuve been large in the leading productive lines, and this has forced unusual consumption of raw material, stocks of iron ore, wood and hides undergoing rapid depletion. The marketing of grain continued close up to its recent heavy proportions, receipts running S 3 per cent over those, a year ago, and arrivals were larger In live stock and dairy products. Railroad earnings show much better than for February and testify to extraordinary movement of commodities of all kinds, yet this is accompanied by complaints of vexatious delays in deliveries and shortage of both cars and motive power. Agricultural reports were more uniformly agreed as to the excellent condition of growing crops and considerable advance was made in farm work, seeding progressing at many points. Grain receipts aggregated 0,155.941 bushels, against 6,401,876 bushels last week and 3,350,575 bushels a year ago. The shipments were 3,417,958 bushels, an increase of 29 per cent over those a year ago. Prices, compared with the closings last week, show slight declines In corn and oats, wheat holding steady.

[ New York.

Bradstreet's report on tbe general trade conditions of the country fol-

lows: Excellent weather, favorable grain crop reports, expansion In industry, well-maintained spring trade, particularly at the West, enlarging retail trade in the leading cities and unimpaired confidence In the future are conspicuously satisfactory features demanding notice this week. Special reports from all leading winter and spring wheaTsections point to the win-ter-sown crop having weathered the cold weather in excellent condition. Special reports from 108 cities nnd towns point to an expenditure for houses, offices, factories and other edifices of $455,000,000 during the present calendar year. Allowing for cities not yet reported would indicate that the total expenditures for edifices TOT this year would run well up to $600,000,000. In addition to this, marked activity In railroad building and heavy orders for equipment foreshadow an expenditure of probably $200,000,000 by the railroads, this all pointing to an aggregate expenditure for material and labor of close to $500,000,000. Relatively, most activity in trade is still noted nt tbe West.