Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 October 1905 — COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL

“ i Trade conditions generCfiiCdQO. i ally reflect a seasonable 1 advance. The most unfavorable features this week are a higher commercial mortality, further indications of car shortage and scarcity of skilled labor in construction.

Retail dealings in the leading fall lines made an excellent start, miles being of large volume and testifying to the increased purchasing power of consumers. Wholesale departments continued making satisfactory bookings in the principal staples for early delivery, and shipments are exceptionally heavy of textiles, footwear and household goods. Manufacturing branches present additionalindications ofwidening activity. The new demands are well maintained, exceptionally heavy commitments appearing In pig iron, plates and shipbuilding. Iron and steel production is exerted to the limit of capacity. The building trades are rushed with increasing demand. Building material requirements are remarkably urgent and prices have reached the highest average of this season. Prices of raw material for manufacturing exhibit no weakness, those for hides, leather, wool and lumber holding firm, while the tendency is upward for pig iron. Freight movements tax both rail and lake facilities, and, while the equipment is greater than ever before, every resource of Western roads is strained to accommodate shippers. The total quantity of grain bandied at this port aggregated 10,046,702 bushels, against 10,370,070 bushels a year ago. Receipts were 12.8 per cent lower, but the shipments gainned 19.1 per cent.

Bank clearings, $201,695,135, exceed those of a year ago by 17.4 per cent. Failures reported in the Chicago district number 39, against 18 last week and 24 a year ago.—Dun’s Re"view of Trade.

“ ~ j The tenor of jobbing NSV 10fn. trade and industrial advices is more unanimously favorable this week than at any preceding period this year. At the leading jobbing centers activity continues notable in all lines of drygoods, clothing, shoes and, in fact, all kinds of wearing apparel. It is further to be noted that secondary points of distribution are sending better advices. Industry is active, iron and steel leading with larger sales and firmer prices in the cruder forms, heretofore inclined to lag. More is doing in the coal and coke industries and prices are hardening. Building material, particularly timber and hardware, reflect unprecedented activity for this season of the year. Business failures in the United States for the week ending Sept. 21 number 173, against 188 last week, 203 in the like week of 1904, 185 in 1903, 172 in 1902 and 197 in 1901. In Canada failures for the week number twenty, as against thirty-two last week and twenty-seven in this week a year ago. —Bradstreet’s Commercial Report.