Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1906 — COMMEPCIAL AND FINANCIAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMEPCIAL AND FINANCIAL

€ CHICAGO. In the aggregate of bank exchange* for both the week and month Just ended substantial gains appear over those of last year, indicating that expansion In business generally is yet making progress. Heavy orders continue to be entered by the leading Industries for de-livery at distant dates, and consider ■lng the rapid absorption of the unprecedented outputs of furnaces and factories, it is clear that consumption has established a new high level. More concern Is expressed as to the future productions of finished materials owing to the difficulties presented by cost of supplies and labor and the inability of railroads to provide satisfactory transportation. These considerations are becoming more widespread, but for the present they cause no halting In the efforts to obtain the best ■ results. It is noted that Iron and steel prices exhibit no further marking up, but there is an advancing tendency In hard woods and slightly higher quotations in copper, hides and leather. Thanksgiving trade made an improvvolume of retail- dealings and, although jobbers are seasonably quiet in the staples, the demand Is well maintained for holiday goods. Wholesale houses find a satisfactory demand for spring wares, particularly in the textiles, footwear, carpets and furniture. Interior advices testify to gratifying headway in the reductions of winter lines and the outlook is bright for heavy Christmas ■ business. A healthy indication is found in an increased discounting of bills, and western collections average up well. Manufacturing operations reflect sustained pressure upon facilities and greater outputs of finished products. Failures reported in the Chicago district numbered 22, against 26 last week and 22 a year ago.—Dun’s Review of Trade.

NEW YORK. Trade has been active as rarely before at this season, despite widespread holiday observance, warm weather in parts of the South, and bad roads in the Northwest. The really serious cause of complaint, a reflection in itself Oi superabundant prosperity, Is the practically country-wide congestion in railway traffic, which * affects grain movement, collections and retail trade in the Northwest, delays delivery of badly needed coal supplies in the entire West, interferes with the movement of cotton to market at the South, and hampers manufacturing operations in the iron and steel, textile, lumber, and other trades. Railway men appear awake to the situation and are working energetically, but the near approach oT the winter season renders the outlook dubious. Spot sales In general jobbing lines are rather lighter, as is natural under the circumstances, but this branch of trade, as well as first hands, is busily engaged on business for spring. In cotton fabrics, for instance, the only feature hampering trade is the complaint of backward dePveries, due to labor shortage or to factories being oversold.—-Bradstreet’s Commercial Report.