Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 96, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1907 — COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL

■ - CHICAGO. - Midsummer quiet is more in but no loss of strength appears in the general conditions supporting the business outlook. The recent ratio of gain in the volume of payments through banks is not sustained this week and the record of trading defaults again compares unfavorably in numbers with those a year ago. —Tire leading industries disclose mo- special change. . Satisfactory weather permits factory production to "run. without hindrance, and the volume of distribution of finished products and general merchandise makes an increasing "exhibit,, although there is smaller movement of grain, due to decreased marketings. New demands in iron and steel aggreeate no less than expected at this time, but there are more bookings of contracts for cars and other equipment, and inquiries increase for rails and plates to be taken next year. Furnaces work close to capacity: Operations at the mines are now rushed in the effort to overcome the setback caused by the strike. A further decline is established in copper, but other markets for raw materials continue steady. Building activity retains a good outlook. The wholesale markets for staples advance in activity. Agricultural affairs are seen to be much better than a month ago, and the returns obtained for grain and live stock steadily enrich growers throughout the West. Harvest reports indicate seasonable progress, w r ith winter wheat and oats making good yields. Corn improves right along and spring wheat sections send in more encouraging advjfes.~ Supplies of live stock fail to measure up adequately, and this brings the highest values recorded this year for choice beeves and, further rise in hogs, products of the latter also making a higher average cost. — Dun’s Review of Trade. NEW YORK. —Crops, particularly, corn and —eetten?--haye shown further improvement, there is. freer buying for “fall at leading southwestern markets, shipments of fall goods are expanding and there is evident a more optimistic feeling as to distributive trade generally, based upon the active trade done of late at retail. Relatively most activity is noted in the larger southwestern markets, at few central western centers, and at the larger eastern cities. In the South midsummer quiet rules. In some lines of wholesale trade, such as cotton dry goods, the activity manifested is still notable. Spelter, copper and lead are weaker, and business is light. Raw wool is notably strong. Business failures for .the week in the United States number 142, against 155 last week. 170 in the like week in 1906, 178 in 1905, 179 in 1904 and 164 in 1903. — Bradstreet’a Commercial Report.