Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-12-16
REPORT ON TRADE.
Active Business In Holiday Goods
and Kindred Products.
4 NEW STEEL TRUST IS FORMED.
gether for "Harmony"-A Flint Glxss
Bottle COmbine-Cracker Cone
panies Consolidate.
New YORK, Dec. H. Bradstreet's

New YORK, Dec. -'Bradstreet'h
commercial report says:
Mild weather throughout most OF the country
has interfered to some extent with the distrlbu-
ton Of winter weight clothing and other sea-
sonable goods and trade from first hands Is
quieter even than last week Jobbers and re-
tailers, however, report q steadily increasin 4
demand and In some regions very active busi-
ness In holiday goods. groceries and kindred
products Reports from the south continue NJ
whole very good. with especially favorable
accounts from New Orleans, Atlanta, Nashville
and the central south. Collections ara as o
rule generally very satisfactory In spite OF the
low price Of cotton
Favorable reports come from Chicago, Kan
sas City St Louis and St Paul in the central
west and northwest while the Pacific coast
notes heavy increase in the trade, present
and contingent based upon enlarged Alaskan
demand San Francisco reports the wheat
crop improved by recent rains, with c0nscrva-
tive estimates pointing to u Yield OF Hb.0O
tons. General export trade on the coast Is very
heavy The price situation Is one OF sustained
and even aggressive strength Wheat Is
higher, partly on improved statistical position
but largely In sympathy with the Chicago
squeez, which had advanced prices Is cents
per bushel within week In that market All
cereals have sympathizcd with wheat and
coffee, copper, cotton. dairy products, leaf to-
bacco and raw sugar IRE also among the prom
inent staples which have been enhanced In
value. The decreases have been few and
slight shading ut Pittsburgh and sympathetic
weaknesses at other points on an immense pro-
duction
There arc 292 business failures reported
throughout the United States this week. as OPP
posed to go last week, 1871 in the week u year
ago, 1913 in 1865 and 1853 in 1904
A NEW STEEL TRUST IS FORMED.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 1l.--A meeting
Of the representatives. Of nearly oil the
steel companies in the United States
was held yesterday at New York city,
at which the harmonizing OF their in
terests and the division of territory
are said to have been the chief subject
of discussion. None of those from this
city who were present at the meeting
would discuss the matter, but 1t was
stated on what is considered reliable
authority that the two above men
tioned subjects were discussed and de-
cided upon. 1t is also said that under
the new arrangement many of the fea-
lures Of the old steel rail pool are in
corporated. Another important ques-
ton said to have been settled was that
of percentage allotment to each of
the companies with penalty for in
fraction thereof,
FLINT GLASS BOTTLE COMBINE.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, Dec. THE Com.
moner and Glass Worker says:
One Of the clos, st organizations Of American
flint bottle manufacturers has been perfected
ind will assume control of the flint bottle trade
Of the country within week or two. Fully o.
per cent Of the flint glass manufacturers Of
the country are In the organization, which will
DO styled the American Flint Bottle associa-
tlon, with headquarters, very probably, ut In.
dianapclis, Practically oil the bottled concerns
In the country, union and non-union, IRE In the
new organization. The new organization Is
much like the new American Glass company,
the new window glass combine, Asa direct re-
suit Of the formation, there has been an advance
OF ten per cent on flint bottles and II Is being
well maintained
CRACKER COMPANIES CONSOLIDATE.
New York, Dec 1l.-lt Is more than
possible that within the next few days
the great bulk of the cracker and bis
cult business of the United States will
be controlled by combination of the
three corporations that now share the
trade among themselves. These three
Corporations are the New York Biscuit
company, the American Biscuit and
Manufacturing company and the
United States Biscuit company. Their
combined capital will be Ss5,oOO,0 600 or
G90 OC0 600