Omaha daily bee., 1896-09-20
CONDITION OF OMAHA'S TRADE
General Condition Of Business in a Jobbing
Way Unchanged.
MONEY IN THE COUNTRY HARD TO GET
winter Goods Move More Freely MS
the season Advnnces-Consider-
nbIc business Doing mt south
Omaha Live stock Mnrkct.

In volume the weeks business may be put
down as not materially different from tina
of a good many other weeks that have gone
before. Gains I'm one line appear to be OF.
set by decreases in others, so that the
total volume of sales remains very nearly
stationary from one week to another. ThC
change in the season, as a matter oil
course, brings about a change in the char.
acter of the goods sought after by buyers
and in consequence houses having stocks
made up largely of scasonable goods are
able to report an improved demand.
Country merchants, while placing orders
to meet current demands for merchandise
do not attempt to anticipate the wants OF
their customers, but their policy is to wait
until the requirements are fully understood
and then order just enough to meet the
necessity. Money in the country Is very
scarce and the retail merchants do not
appear to have much confidence in the
future of trade unless something occurs &c
advance values on farm produce. The stu
alton resolves itself into this-the coun-
try merchants are not in a position tc
carry the farmers to any greater extent
than they are at present doing and the
farmers are able to buy and pay for only
a very limited quantity of merchandise.
1t is of course idle to expect anything
like N revival of trade while there Is pend.
ing an election upon the results of which
the permanency of the present. monetary
system of the country Is dependent. Con
sidering the scarcity of money and the
difficulty of borrowers to secure bank aC-
commodations. and the general feeling OF
uncertainty resting like II shadow over
every department of trade, the condition
exp cted. The fact is that trade Is holding VI
j. better and has developed more strength
possible under existing financial conditions
In its. entirety the situation may be de-
as any change for the better in tributary
territory must lead to freer buying on the
part of the retail trade.
The retail trade of the city has beer
rather quiet, as the season is not suf-
fciently advanced to bring on a very heavy
consuming demand for winter goods. Still,
In some departments, considerable business
was done the past week. the cooler weather
stimulating the demand for fall goods.
The announcement of the completion of
the $4,000 stock subscriptions for the eX-
position has had a good effect upon all local
enterprises, giving renewed confidence In
the future, even If without immediate
benefits.
AT SOUTH OMAHA.
A large business was done in live stock
at South Omaha the past week. The
Omaha market, however, has been very
poorly supplied with beeves. and the pack
of purchasing their supplies, very largely
In other markets. Beef cattle would seem
to be very scarce in the territory tributary
to this market. The cattle coming here
have been mostly feeders, and, in spite
of the fact that money is hard to get, the
demand has been exceedingly good. The
corn, crop Is so large, and all KINDS of feed
so abundant that every farmer wants cattle
to fatten. 1t has been said that the banks
could loan several hundred thousand dollars
q day for the next thirty days to cattle
feeders, If they had the money. Perhaps 1t
Is just as well that the money is not forth
coming, as the resultant beef crop, under
other conditions. would undoubtedly be so
large as to force prices down to a point
that would lose the feeders money. As 1t
Is, enough cattle. are being placed upon
iced to preclude the likelihood of any very
fancy prices In the near future.
The feature of the hog market has been
the low prices ruling during the week. Oh
Thursday the market touched the lowest
point in the history OF the trade.