Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 April 1905 — COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL

Hei York.

R. G. Dun & L’o.’s Weekly Review of Trade says: Good news still predom-

inates iff trade and industry. Easter business is of large volume; dry goods, clothing, footwear, and all lines of wearing apparel reporting an unusually good demand, and shippiug departments are taxed to their full capacity in many eases. A few labor controversies are threatened, but none is of sufficient magnitude to materially check progress, even if expected settlements are not attained, for the number of hands involved is comparatively small. Bradstreet’s Commercial Agency makes the following report: Spring trade at wholesale apparently has passed its zenith, hut reorders, especially at the West, are unusually good; iron consumption is unprecedented, winter wheat promises excellently, and the acreage in other cereals will be large. Building and build’ng material are active, export trade displays signs of improvement, railroad earnings show 10 per cent gain for March and an increase of 5 per cent for the quarter, and bank clearings show continued heavy increases over last year. Retail trade is good in sections, but has been retarded by cold weather or heavy rains and the lateness of Easter at other points. Aleat, flsli, and poultry prices are conspicuous exceptions to the otherwise easing tendency of food products. In meats, lessened receipts and higher prices for cattle, Lenten influences, and other causes are assigned for this.

Chicago.

The weekly review of Chicago trade, published by R. G. Dun & Co., says:

An unsually good official crop report, increased use of money and further broadening lu demands upon productive branches have been encouraging developments and favorably affected the business situation generally. A material addition to activity was derived from the opening of lake traffic and a large initial water movement of necessary raw material. Country advices indicate that farm work is advanced several weeks earlier than usual, and this has given decided impetus to trading. Jobbers’ sales have exceeded the total of a year ago in most of the staple lines, dry goods, footwear and clothing leading. Road salesmen continue turning in satisfactory orders for warm weather goods. Board of Trade operations improved in magnitude, breadstuffs and provisions exhibiting more firmness on increasing demands. Receipts of grain, 6,555,974 bushels, were unexpectedly heavy, and compared with 4,294,173 bushels last week and 8,390,959 bushels a year ago. Shipments were the heaviest of any week during the last seven months, these reaching 4,768,925 bushels, an increase of fully 100 per cent over the corresponding week last year. Live stock receipts aggregated 378.848 head, against 304,631 head last week and 223,528 head a year ago. Packing was maintained on a large scale. Trices closed slightly lower for wheat, pork, ribs, choice beeves and sheep, but unchanged for hogs and fractionally higher in corn and oats.