Omaha daily bee., 1893-12-17
CONDITION OF OMAHA'STRADE
Business Situation Shows Very Little Change
During the Week.
|coLLEcTIoNs ARE STILL FAIRLY GOOD
Jobbers Report q Moderately Active Week
In All Lines, Holiday foods Espe-
ciaiIy In D~emand-Bank Clear
ings for the Week.

The local jobbing trade does not show
much change as regards general conditions.
As A matter Of fact changes are taxing
| place out so gradually as not TO be readily
| apparent as viewed from day to day. In
certain branches Of the iobbing trade the
holiday season has produced some improve
| ment and those joobers who are handling
any number Of lines Of holiday goods speak
I Of trade as very satisfactory during the
| week lust closed. Those iobbers who are
handling only the regular lines OF goods that
! are not IN special request at this season OF
| the year do not have so much TO say
in favor Of the condition Of business.
Thus the iobbers OF hardware and dry goods
report only a moderate business for the past
week. The grocers had a good trade in such
lines as candies, nuts, rasins, etc. BUSINESS
in the line Of boots and shoes was fair, out
hardly up TO what it was for the previous
week.
IL is. Of course, admitted on every sice
that general business is far from what could
be desired, but it is also a fact that, IN the
place Of the utterly unsettled feeling which
existed only a month or two ago, there Is
now a fairly well defined basis on which 70
pu!ld up a new prosperity. II Is true that In
some lines considerable uncertainty exists
as to the future. for the reason that the
prospect OF a new tariff system stares the
country in the face.
That the business situation IS actually i'm.
proving admits Of no doubt, in the minds OF
those who have intimate dealings with
merchants and manufacturers. While the
banks could wish for a very much better de-
mand for money from the mercantile com
muuity than actually exists. there are,
nevertheless. plenty OF indications that bust
mess men are beginning to use more money
in their various lines of industry. The In
weston is authority for the statement that
eastern banks have lately been ~gratihed al
GrIfr- .rnrarpa m whom fhRN ara alEya VS.
glad 70 lend, but who have not been borrow
ing anything of them for a long while, com
ing round and asking for large amounts.
This indicates that business men are obtain
ing an access Of courage and ere beginning
To enlarge their lines slowly but surely.
While the situation has improved and
while much of the feeling of distrust so
noticeable, not long ago, has disappeared
Omaha jobbers expect to see business re-
main rather quiet the balance of the winter.
This expectation would appear to be based
on the absence of any visible cause that
might bring about any very great revival IN
trade.
The retail trade of Omaha Just at the
present time is receiving the benefits Of the
holiday season. All, or nearly all, Of the
larger retail houses Of the city report a good
business. 1t is noticed, however, that while
the numDer of buyers is as large as usuaI
their purchases are hardly as liberal as IL
former seasons. Cheaper or small articles
are given the preference by the buyers OF
Christmas gifts.
The retail merchants, Ike the jobbers, dc
not anticipate a very large trade after tbs
holidays.
Bank Clearings-
The bank clearings of Omaha show a de
crease during the past week amounting t.
20 per cent. This is a smaller decrease thar
is shown by the cities 10 the north and ives
of Omaha. The decrease AT Minneapolis Il
"a per cent, St. Paul 46, Milwaukee AZ ant
Denver ~. The cities to the south, how
ever. make q better showing this week thai
Omaha. St. J~osepb's clearings nave de
creased only 3.9 per cent, Kansas City 10
and st. Louis 10.
The GLOWING will show the clee rings a
Omaha for each day of the past week: