Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 February 1906 — COMMERCAL AND FINANCIAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMERCAL AND FINANCIAL

. 'T Bank exhibits disclose tDiCdSO. healthy progress, and the —i— ? , state of trade generally indicates continuing strength in the leading'manufacturing And distributive branches. Weather interruptions were of short duration and but slightly impeded outdoor confruction. The principal retail lines made further headway in reducing winter stocks, heavy wear now being in satisfactory absorption. A large increase appears in the number of visiting buyers here, and ity in the markets for staples, a strong demand “being noted in general dry goods, suits and cloaks, men’s furnishings, footwear and carpets. Forward bookings in linens and cotton goods are gaining, -while mail orders from the interior make favorable comparison with those at this time last year. Production of iron and steel is maintained dose to the limit of capacity in this district and unusually heavy shipments are Seen of rails mid structural materials. Pig iron, transactions for future delivery included only a moderate tonnage, price quotations showing a divergence which tends to the withholding of commitments, although it is not quite clear that cost is going lower. . ~ ~ ■ Failures reported in the Chicago district number twenty-five, against thir-ty-six last week and twenty-nine a year ago.—Dun’s Review of Trade.

“77 77 j~| There is more snap to 116 V I Ola. spring trade this week, ers particularly at the West and South noting more inquiry for dry * goods, clothing, shoes and similar lines. Favored - by the steady weather those trades display a desire to open the season earlier than usually. The absence "-6f severe anil sudden weather changes has also been beneficial so far to the winter wheat crop, which does not show any effects of lack of snow covering throughout most of the winter. , Shipments on spring account are being called for early. Retail trade and to a certain extent collections are of course affected by the same weather conditions, but forced sales are moving goods, and there is even a tendency on the part of retailers to be'come reconciled to the situation anil not to let the undeniably disappointing winter trade Interfere with, spring demands. Industry is favored by the openness of the weather, hut antllra<■ite coal demand Is slack, and bituminous is lower despite talk of a strike. Collections are rather Irregular, lining good in the Northwest, only fair in the central West and lake region, and good at the South, except where Itolding of cotton is complained of. Money is easy. Business failures In the United States for the week uedlng Feb. 1 number 228, against 270 last week. 239 in the like week of 1905, 216 in 1904. 208 In 1903 and 247 in 1902. In Caiiftda failures for the week were 24, against 33 last week and 30 in this week a year ago.—Bradstreet's Commercial Report.