Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-13
CONDITION OF OMAHA'S TRADE
Business in a Jobbing Way Fairly Good in
Most All Lines.
COUNTRY COLI gcTloNs GENERALLY SLOW
Values of Merchandise show Numcr-
Gus Changes, Some OF Them of
4 Considerable In,portnnce-Reg-
Mating the Sale OF Groceries.

been rather devoid OF new features of inn
portance. without exception jobbers report
continuance of the satisfactory demand
for merch handise noted a week ago. There
has been no great increase in business, nor
has there been any important change in
either direction. In some Instances lnd-
vidua houses report a slightly increased
volume of sales, as compared with the pre-
vious week, but there are just many
houses that experienced a slight reduction,
that IT is safe to say that the week as a
whole has been productive of little change
in the jobbing trade of Omaha.
If anything there are more complaints in
regard to slow collections than was the case
two or three weeks ago. Money appears to
be very scarce in the country and even
merchants who have, a rule been very
prompt, asking for extensions The
amount of country produce moving in most
sections appears to be small, and prices are
so low that the farmers who are selling re-
celve very little for their crop. In some
sections of the state farmers who have been
holding onto their hogs have come to the
conclusion apparently that prices are not
going to be any higher for the present, and
they are selling out, though the market is
unusually low. This will take some money
back into the country A great many farm
ers are also trying to get stock to consume
their corn, and that requires a great deal OF
ready money.
HARDWARE TRADE GOOD.
The coming of cold weather always causes
a little revival in the hardware line. The
hardware merchant handles a number of
lines of cold weather goods that are in de-
mand at this season OF the year, and that
helps to swell the volume of sales;
The local houses report good free move
ment of goods In their line during the past
six days While large trade Is looked for
year, the idea appears to be that there VIII
develop steady demand rather than a
of consumers is expected to increase during
the next two months, and their wants, as
well as those of retailers who supply them,
are believed to be quite extensive.
The market is well sustained in all lines,
though there have been no ADVANCES of any
Importance. The manufacturers or tin plate
are complaining that the advance in the
price of steel has been a severe blow to
them, and that they are being crowded by
foreign competition. For the past year and
half there has been an enormous increase
in the capacity o. the tin mills, new mills
BOOT AND SHOE JOBBERS.
Dealers report fair business for the sea
son of the year, In fact. they are doing
ent time Trade, however, is not rushing
in the boot and shoe line in any section OF
pound in sole leather created something OF
. a furry among shoe men. 1t is still claimed
however. that the leather market Is occu.
decline in the price of sole leather is said &c
be the large receipts of range cattle at the
4
from range cattle are used for making sole
leather, and are valueless for most othel
purposes.
THE DRY GOODS TRADE.
Dry goods men report very fair trade
for the past week, total sales showing some
little Improvement over the previous week
The market has remained firm in all lines
even If there has been no very marked ad
vance. .
upward tendency. though no higher limi
has been reached. Recent advances hav'
been more In the nature of a levelng up o
values Available supplies at eastern point
of distribution are reported as small. tn,
icos have pretty well defined upward ten
dency.
During the past three months staple cot
tons have advanced from 10 to Is per cent
while cotton, during the same time, has ad
vanced 30 per cent. Such manufacturers a
have been working from supplies of cheape
cotton have been able to sell on the marke
as 1t rose, to advantage, but according to a
reports, these supplies are pretty well ex
on the basis of the current cotton marke
leaves them in no better position than the
were months ago. This is the real secret o
the strong upward tendency of the marke
at time when the consumptive deman
does not appear to be very great.
The wooden goods trade is in a very pc
cuiiar condition. Prices are hardly so hg
far has been light, wool I is 1 a little highe
than last year. and the same may be sal
Of wages. Labor and materials entering int
greater. with no corresponding gain in price
Of Of the product AS result mills are clos
creasing. And yet, in the face of this, ther
is an excessive demand for. wool. and a
the leading markets have been reportin
largely increased sales. Manufacturers hav
been the chief buyers. and it would appea
that they have come to the conclusion tina
advances abroad permanent and tina
prices on the raw material and manufac
tured goods must advance in the near fu
IN THE GROCERY LINE.
There has been fair business doing i
hn hIlt nn raa
rush. and. II anything. hardly up to tn
WssS % ass Sns Sssa sSor Ss PreS
all lines, and. higher on some. Sugars hav
advanced again. Cheese continues on the II
prunes are easier. The same is true of tn
ordinary grade ,,.he, of peaches though fame
:, California evaporated pears are in yer
Ight g sup supply h and II, in consequence i the marke
stock. Eastern ,eyaporated raspberres ar
from isc to Ac higher:
Is increasing, and 1t would not be surprisn
II there was some Improvement in price
very low in fact, the lowest in 's severa RI
seasons
able, there will be shortage in the pac
of Alaska salmon amounting to 10000 case
as compared with last season. The resul
of the reported shortage has been a stronge
market
The Louisiana sugar. mills will be starte
up about the middle of this month, and tn
crop Is estimated at about 20 per cent les
than last year.
REGULATING SUGAR TRADE
The past week has witnessed the intro
duction of great change in the matter O
selling sugars Three or four years ago tn
jobbers of the west attempted to introduc
some plan which would do away with tn
cutting of prices and allow the jobber
small profit on the sugars handled, 1t wa
impossible, however. to arrive at any agree
ment and the matter was dropped Tn
grocers have continued to sell sugars a
cost, and, in fact, at an actual loss, countin
the expense of handling.
short time ago the agitation was re
newed by the iobbers of the western states
who desired to be placed on about the sam
footing as the New England jobbers As
result Of this movement, the American Su
gar Refining company has put into opera
tion an entirely new system of selling su
gars, The plan does away entirely with tn
previous system Of rebates. and makes on
selling price TO all buyers. II allows. how
its agents. who will he the iobbers through
out the country. The same plan will cove
the whole country. and has been adepte
by the Independent reflners as well. The re
nners VIII not refuse to sell to large retaj
houses or department stores but no dis
counts viii be allowed by the retincrs fror
the prices such retailers and department
stores can purchase from the Whoesal
grocer acting as agent OF the reiincrs. /
IL not the intention to allcw retun house
or department stores to gct as agents .
the trust
Local iobbers say that the new syster
Will be an Improvement over the old as
VIII allow the jobher profit of about s