Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1907 — COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL

CHICAGO. The favorable conditions which have characterized commerce so strikingly throughout the year have suffered no decline, and it is a fitting culmination to the unprecedented activities that the volume of Christmas dealings has surpassed the high record made a year ago. Notwithstanding the enormous buying of holiday goods, the general demand Is well sustained in seasonable lines, especially high-grade apparel, footwear and household needs. The buying power of the people never before has been so strongly demonstrated and liberal purchases have carried sales of the luxuries to a remarkable extent, jewelry, art and music stores sharing largely in the general prosperity. Stocks in the leading retail sections throughout the city have under-, gone satisfactory depletion on a fairly profitable margin, although the selling expense forms, an enhanced item. A feature of the dealings has been the greatly increased number of visitors from many outside points who bought liberally, and it Is clear that this market has become a more attractive center than hi therto for discriminating buyers. Bank exchanges a year ago were considerably swollen by the closing of three local concerns, and, allowing for this, there is sustained gain in the current total. Conditions in the leading Industries reflect no material change. The customary falling off appears in the aggregate of new demands, but the pressure is undiminished upon production, and few plants can be shut down for more time than is necessary to make imperative repairs. Raw materials are yet rapidly absorbed and prices maintain their high position for pig iron, finished steel, lumber, hides and leather. The markets lor breadstuffs, provisions and live stock show seasonable activity, and, with few exceptions, values range higher. Failures reported in Chicago district numbered 28, against 25 last week and 18 a year ago.—Dun’s Review of Trade. NEW YORK. Holiday buying, easily the pre-emi-nent trade feature, increases as the season draws to a close and early predictions of a record turnover are being fully realized. Stocks have been so well disposed of that jobbers have booked a large volume of re-orders. Otherwise, however, general retail trade in seasonable goods has been subjected to vagaries of weather, being excellent where low temperatures have prevailed, but backward elsewhere of the South and in the Northwest, where the weather has been too mild or too rainy for the fullest developments. In the larger distributive lines, wholesale and jobbing business is comparatively quiet In consonance with the season, drummen being in for the holidays, while inventorying is under way. The failures in the United States for the week ending Dec. 20, number 227, against 220 last week, 235 in the like week of 1905, 249 In 1904, 243 in 1903 and 166 in 1902. In Canada failures for the week number 26, as against 31 a week ago and 38 In this week a year ago.—Bradstreet’s Commercial report.