Omaha daily bee., 1897-06-13
CONDITION OF ONAHA'S TRADE
Business Looking Up in Nearly All Sections
Of the West.
COUNTRY COLLECTIONS ARE SATISFACTORY
Jobbers and Manufacturers Hopeful
nS to Future Trade in Tributary
Territory advance In Live
stock Makes Better Times.

Local trade conditions have not materially
changed since a week ago. but such aitera-
tons "a have occurred are on the side OF
still further Improvement. At first only a
few business houses were able 10 note any
change for the better. but as the process Of
recovery became stiu more advanced, others
were able TO feel the effects. until now II is
a question II there is single hou-e doing
business in Omaha that is not able TO prove
by its books substantial Improvement
over a year ago. The Improvement appears
to be general in all sections Of tributary ter
ritory. all reports from the country agreeing
tLat the famers getting into better shape
and that the retail trade Is feeling the cf-
fects Of the easing mp in the money supply.
In fact, all over the west as far north as
Minneapolis and south to Kansas City, or
beyond. the reports all speak Of greatly i'm
proved business conditions. with everyone
hopeful Of still greater Improvement in the
near future.
one Of the best results Of the improve
nent IN business is the Increased number Of
laboring people who have been able during
the past few weeks to find employment
Almost every manufacturer has put a few
more people at work, and while In many
cases the number Of names added to the pay
roll has been small for each firm, in the ag-
gregate the number would be quite large.
Collections show Improvement in all sec
tons OF tributary territory and az gem
eral thing are entirely satisfactory to jOU-
The Omaha retail trade has been quite
chants talk in most encouraging manner.
As an evidence that there is more money
in the country and that people are ready to
spend some of 1. on the luxuries and p cas-
ures OF life, well as on the necessities II
may be mentioned that jobbers report a
greater demand for fireworks all over Ne
braska than ever before Nearly every lit
tie town in the state will celebrate July I.
and great many OF them on quite large
scale.
Another straw which shows the direction
of the wind is the fact that Omaha jubbers
their sales of larger
than ever before, which means that the peo-
pie are getting in better shape financially
and feel that they can AFFORD to buy fruit
and put ii in cans A year OF two years ago
few people felt that they could afford 10
spend much money for table luxury that
they could do without.
ADVANCE IN LIVE STOCK.
Live cattle at the leading markets Of the
country continue to command high prices
which proving very remunerative to the
growers, and which will 30 a long way
toward restoring prosperity to the western
high priced beef and the farmers and feed.
eTs Of the country are reaping the benefit.
There are several reasons why cattle
should sell much higher now than in the
past. During the past two years or more
farmers and stock growers have, under the
stress Of hard times. turned as many OF
their cattle into money as possible, with the
result that the young cattle nave been rur
brought about by this means has had
stimulating effect upon prices, while at ths
due to the improved business conditions il
the country at large. has added still greater
strength to the market.
There has also been an unusually large dc
mand for beef from London and l.iverp00
on account Of the queens jubilee. This lat
ter demand has greatly stimulated the mar
ket for the choice grades of beef as the Tor
egnor5 want nothing but the best cornfe'
steerS
The market on cornfed steers is now =
cents to 81 per hundred higher than it wa
a year ago. in other words. the fat cat
tie now being marketed are bringing iron
81 to Si4 per head more than they were il
June of asst year. What this means to tn
country can be most fully appreciated b!
glanCing at the figures representing tn
number of cattle now going forward L
market from Nebraska and other western
states.
While producers have been reaping a goo
harvest that is helping to place all the west
ern states on much better financial foot
ing, consumers have not suffered an,
appreCable burden II Is time hOnore
complaint tlat when the price of cattle drop
down the selling price of meat remain
nearly as high as ever. so that II may b
in order TO examine into the effect that a
advance in catte has upon the rrCe of meal
The packers say that the rapid advance Il
cattle has only advanced beef u to = cen
per pound on average, the advance bein
the most marked on the choicest cuts. Tn
following figures represent the whOlesal
price of meats at Omaha for tle first Wee
Of the current month compared with IN
n gfr,,y Ipt. ,fla