Omaha daily bee., 1893-10-29
'ONDITION OFOMAHA'S TRADE
Holds Fully Up to the Record
Made a Week Ago.
RATHER INCLINED TO DRAG
Business IN n Jobbing Way Continues Quite
Satisfac tory, Though Behind the Aver
age of ~ Year Ago-some Lines
Ahead of Last october.

Inc past week mas, according 10 al ac-
counts, witnessed little change affecting the
distribution Of goods in a jobbing way. 1t
may be said, however, that such changes as
have occurred have been, If anything, on the
side Of an Improvement. There is a tendency
In such lines of business as have been slow
10 recover from the midsummer depression
to gradually work their way back to the
normal, while such lines as were quick to
recover still maintain the position reached
} early in the fall,
The grocery business, which has been good
all the fall, was without special feature last
week, aud while there could not be said to
IA been any Improvement the volume of
business of the previous week was we'll
maintained. 1t would appear that eastern
jobbers take with a grain Of allowance the re-
ports of the very satisfactory business that
is being done by western jobbers in grocer
les. The New York Bulletin remarks that
reports of free western buying OF various
tines of groceries have been so frequent of
late that the casual observer might reason
ably arrive at the conclusion that jobbcrs in
western territory are having more enviable
experience than their European competitors
In distributing goods. A certain allowance
for western exuberance may be proper, but
there is convincing evidence that something
substantial remains back of it. For example,
the most convincing evidence has been
brought forward to show that the proper
tion Of California produce, such as dried
aud canned fruit, etc., has been
above the average since the beginning
of the autumn season. In fact, some lines of
those goods have been taken in sufficient
quantity to upset previous calculations of
eastern dealers regarding the probable future
statistical position. The influence of large
western distribution is not confined alone to
California goods. 1t is conspicuous in con-
nection with tomatoes and some other lines
OF canned vegetables. Ia also CUTTING gOmp
figure in shaping the market for sailed fish,
and not without a certain degree of influence
upon certain of the more staple
lines of groceries. Eastern jobbers
are not slumbering by any means. In
fact they are on the alert to put through
the largest possible amount of business on
the safe and sure policy, leaving the home
producer and importer to wrestle with the
uncertainties incidental to carrying surplus
stocks. Still late movements would indi-
cate that the western dealers are either,
more confident as to the future or taking
greater RISKS. In any event, 1T is the plain
fact that very free movement to western
distributive centers has been the means of
giving a certain amount OF life to the mar
ket for various lines of goods and impartlng
stability to prices as well.
Some other lines as well as groceries have
shown little change during the week past,
as, for example. boots and shoes, hats and
caps and clothing. 1t may be added, how
ever, that the clothing business this month
~ ''eJ " sto IA
last year as concerns the volume of business.
This is something that can be said of very
few lines, and may be due to the crowding
into October of a part Of the trade that
would on ordinary seasons come to hand in
September.
The dry goods business continues very
active and local houses are doing a very
satisfactory business. 1t looks now as If the
volume of business for the month would
! show an Increase over October a year ago.
1 fit does not IL will be close up to it.
Jobbers in hardware are reporting an i'm
? proved trade in their line. Business is not
Il yet up to where it was a year ago, but the
reports from the country are more cheering
and the orders are more numerous. The fact
D Is that orders are coming in as rapidly as
\ they did a year ago, but they are not so
large.
There has been a more cheerful feeling in
the wholesale district during the past few
days, owing to the prospect of the speedy re-
peal OF the silver bill. The general opinion
among local jobbers is that the repeal of the
bill In question will be the signal for n gen.
eral revival all along the line. They do not
look upon the repeal as being a panacea for all
the ills of trade, but as people generally are
waiting for favorable action on that question
before branching out TO any extent in any
business enterprise 1t follows that trade
must be slow, so long as the final settlement
of the question Is an uncer .ainty.
Collections are not very active and from
all sources come complaints as TO the diff.
fculty of securing prompt payment of obi.
cations when due. Reports from the coun'
try indicate that farmers are not marketing
their crops very rapidly, and until farm
products move more rapidly no great i'm
provement in collections can be anticipated
The clearings for the week ending or
Saturday show n slight decrease as com
pared with the previous week. AT the same
time tho decrease as compared with the
corresponding week a year ago was only "a
per cent, rs against ~ per cent the previou;
week. The decrease in the clearings for the
whole United States was 20 per cent for thu
past week, while for the previous week i
amounted to 32 per cent. Omaha still com
pares very favorably with other western
cities in the matter of clearing house re
ports. Cities like Minneapolis, st. Paul
Denver, st. Joseph and Sioux City show
decrease much larger than Omaha.
The following will show the clearings fol
each day of the week uuder review togethe
with the totals for previous weeks:
Monday. $685. 2S.3
Tuesday, ..,..,... 6S7, 1871
Wednesday. ................ 300. 1861
Inursuhy ool,oo4.o
Friduy. 725, $50. Il
Saturday. 652. $50. 81
Total ........ ............. 81, 1886, 1892
uNaaiy .nIsny n.t ~ knD7 $50 A