Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1906 — COMMEPCIAL AND FINANCIAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMEPCIAL AND FINANCIAL

p, . ! The commercial posi--4jfliG3Qo. tion maintains exeeption- —— aV strength. More seasonable weather broitglit a good demand for winter apparel and household needs and retail trade generally experienced a sharp reduction of stocks which hitherto moved slowly owing to comparatively mild temperature. Construction work is impeded but slightly, nor has there been Interruption to unprecedented consumption of all Kinds' of building maferial!-'- MauufaC£uring moves forward very steadily, with the outlook for the year most encouraging. Rail capacity is noW (hi’gfilfecl Ahead for fifteen months, while new commitments draw more extensively on structural shapes, plates and rolling stoek. Pig iron exhibits a firmer tone in quotations, bookings being equally plentiful for both current wants and forward delivery, Indicating that melters are well provided with work. Factory operations disclose more activity in implements, heavy hardware and electric output, and there is a fair request, for heavy machinery,, automobiles and vehicles. In the leather working lines most activity appears in shoe and belting factories, but orders increase for saddlery, trunks and specialties. . Distributive branches of general merchandise report satisfactory conditions. Mail orders for spring delivery come forward in good volume for the principal staples. Interior merchants are buying confidently, many requiring early shipments, and house sales are stimulated by increasing numbers of visiting —buyers. Movements of commodities, as reflected by railroad returns, show no diminution. Bank clearings, $222,920,507, exceed those of corresponding week in 1905 by 12.4 per cent. Deposits are recovering, money is easier in tone, and "on miore bidding for commercial paper tbe discount rate ruled at 5% per cent.

Failures reported in Chicago district number twenty-five, against thirtytwo last week and thirty-one a year ago.—Dun’s Review of Trade.

~ ~ j Mild weather continNOW, YOrk. ues a source of complaint by affecting retail trade, collections and some reorder business from wholesalers, but compensations are found in continued activity in outdoor inquiry, practically unchecked building operations, better than ordinary midwinter trams* portation conditions and uninterrupted progress in all manufacturing lines, particularly lrou and steel.. Spring trade prospects continue as favorable as heretofore, there is considerable looking around, shipments on earlier orders are heavy and the feeling favors an earlier than ordinary opening of wholesale operations in dry goods, millinery, shoes and kindred lines. Building materials were apparently never so active before at stage of the season. Bank clearings again break all. records for the week. Money is easier at nearly all markets. Summed up, there is undiminished confidence in an immense if not, indeed, record business for six months at least. -Business failures In the United States for the week ended Jan. 18 number 274, against 286 last week, 304 in the like week of 1905, 266 in 1904, 253 in 1903, and 292 in 1902. In Canada failures for the week numher thirty-six, ns against forty-six last week and thirty-seven in this week a year ago.—Bradstreet’s Commercial Report.