Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 63, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1907 — COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL

NEW YORK. Trade responds to seasonahle weather"' distribution of spring merchandise, fully equaling sanguine expectations, and country merchants purchase liberally from wholesalers at leading centers. Report* from principal cities are uniformly favorable, active business being accompanied by further improvement in collections. Leading industries are fully occupied and no strikes of mere than local significance have materialized. Manufacturers are busy on goods for early shipment and sample business for later seasons promises continued activity.' Improved traffic conditions make deliveries more prompt. Few lines of finished steel can be delivered promptly, mills averaging four to six ir: on tics' capacity engaged, and quotations are consequently well maintained. Prhninry markets for textiles are more quiet, but there i 3 no diminution in tbe output of mills except where Aahor cannot b* secured. Commodity exchanges have resumed normal conditions and prices show some recovery from the unsettled position after the Easter-holiday, which was prolonged abroad. —Dun’s Review. Despite some cross-currents in demand, due mainly to the withdrawal of the Easter stimulus to trade and a succeeding spell of cold weather, the develop_nients_ of the week have "t>Bpn mainly favorable. Chief, perhaps, of these is the final satisfactory settlement of the western railway men’s demands by arbitration. All reports as to trade in wholesale and jobbing circles in the first quarter are in a high degree favorable, and failure returns confirm the smallest number of casualties for a generation past. Reports from most leading industries are stHI of full order books and of backward deliveries. There is, however, slightly more manifest disposition to move more conservatively as regards distant positions, some easing of metal quotations and a softening of-asking prices for various products, and the jewelry, shoe, leather and vvool trades note quiet, pending a clearer view of later developments. Business failures in the United States for the week ending April 4 number 137, against 168 last week and 151 in the like week of ~ 1906. Canadian failures for the week number 29, against 21 last week and 17 in this week a year ago.—Bradstreet’s Report.

CHICAGO. Spring trade shows steady advance in the leading branches, and the remarkable volume of new demands reflects continued strength in the buying power, making the best testimony that confidence in the outlook for industry suffers no impairment. The...city _election interrupted dealings in the primary markets and the operations ttnswSr fcrtOtkx. lessc_ general merchandise exceed those of a year ago. Failures reported in the Chicago district numbered 13, against 22 last week and 22 a year ago. For the" first quarter of this year the similar totaled 296, against 359 in 1906 and 360 in 1905.—Dun’s Review.