Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-12-22
TIE TRADE OUTLOOK
Weather Conditions and Active
Distribution Give Business
Better Tone.
The Holiday Trade Shows I'M
provement and Few Com
plants Are Heard.
ComparisonsW With Previous Years
Make Satisfactory Showing
--.Industrial Activity.

.s.lnduStrial Activity.
New York, Dec. - R. g. Dun & Go. s I
Weekly Review of Trade today says
Better weather conditions on the At
.antic seabcard and pronounced activity
in distribution of all staple lines of rner-
chandise at southern cities have inn
Parted slightly more aggressive tone
10 business. Distinctive holiday bust
ness. which at this period of the sea-
son means retail distribution. has shown
further Improvement and no complaint
lbs heard from any quarter. Reports
from the principal cities Indicate iron
and steel contracts will take months to
Fiji. and new sales are made at the for
Liner level, despite much talk Of c heapei
Tote next year. Fuel declined about p
3seents a ton, but his is IS far as the
l5ccst of raw material has been reduced. |
Instead Of holiday quiet in. the wool
lsn1arket the last week figures of sales
at the three chief eastern markets
lampant 10 23S 600 pounds, against s.
s715.eoo in the preceding week and 22s77,-
/ "A tsvofweeks ago. While a year ago the
4 tESi'tEitt iifttl ,yu ~
Iron an average of over 1l.NO0,OO0
4 pounds in the two weeks previous.
/ Prices are steady, but show no recovery
/ from the recent decline, and manufac-
turefs purchase only raw material TO fill
rders Another decline appeared in
iisldes at Chicago, taking the average
Isl5ack TO the level prevailing two months
ago. Leather was also easier.
\ Cation is firmly held. despite arrivals
at southern ports far in excess of last
year and little encouragement from
II spinners
j Wheat is quiet, receipts aggrcgating
tss12. 10 bushels. against 2.s06.2s6 last
Year. while Atlantic exports We're 2, no.
;l2 bushels. -four Included, against l.536
ll6i bushels in tho same week of 1899.
4 Corn advanced again to about cents.
Iabove last years level, without irnpor-
tsint news The movements heavier for.
8 the three weeks of December While At
sllantic exports We're l5244,7oo bushels,
AGAINST l.s25a1s bushels in 1920
A Liquidation inscoffee caused II heavy
Volume of transactions and largely in
4 creased estimates of the next Brazilian
q rsop. The present figure is still more
Athan / cent above last years weakest
sspat and receipts ale 95.00o bags larger
Failures for the week wera 2ss in the
B riited States. against 800 las, year. and
teighteen in Canada, against twenty-six
last year.
Brndstreetss Review.
New York, Dec % radstree,'s to-
!, day says:
seasonabie conditions rule in trade a /
! present. Holiday trade activity is
!, widespread and comparisons with prs
& yiois years are favorable al most mar
I kets. With the possible exceEsti9n of
Z some parts of tlie northwest where tha
prirg wheat shortage and nnseason-
: able weather have checked distribution.
) Notably cheerful reports come too,
Il from western j9bbers Who have been
i. called on for r.-assorting orders and
$ who report collections good Quietness
Win wholesale lines is usual a this per-
z ied butt Is 10 b no.ieed that special
Is good advices come from he iron and
s sfeel hardware, groceries. fancy goods
toys and confectionery trades. while a
/ distinctly cheerful tone is found ii
& SHOES, leather ard lumber attic east.
ern Shipments OF the first named arr
still considerably smaller than las
J. year. Industrial lines are fairly vel
: employed and strikes are few and fal
between. Prices show few changes
most staples being steadN but 1T nigh
be noted that most farm products ar,
slightly higher han last week and vel
above 1899.
=. New business in pig iron is small, ou
s. values are steady which indicates ron
= idencss in the future outlook In spite o
. reiterated stories Of large cut IN or
prices next season, the probability o
- i,ot,
iron and steel biilets are firm and IN
= latter market is reported well undo
= control. Here production $ increasing
:, but stocks are smaller. Finished prod
q uct.s are a trifie auieter but much ancr
= active than usual at this time Of III
wear. Plates are active and hold All tn
late advance. Business IN hardware
x very active and at leading Wester
=, 1 points the seasons business is reportt
!. ths best on record, In structural mat.
4, lrial an Immense amount Of business
~ still being placed and specifications al
:, coming forward freely Export trad
lis quieter and there are cablsd report
"a of shut downs of Scotch iron produt
ers. The other metals are steady e,
i ceptAin tin, Which is weak on reports 4
- larger Shipments from the far east.
Speculation in the cereals has bee
IL marrow dnll and featureless. but price
a have . a.ded by Shorts covering Q
~ Argen; rop reports advices of a
5, exporiab.e surplus from that countl
- of only 10000. 900 bushels and the poi
nd grade of receipts at the northwes
"a Corn receipts are large but little of
grades TO contract, while the expo
business holds up the price of the car
article. Cotton. following the reasol
TO ing as to a large supply, being needs
ed to satisfy even a reduced consumptio
of few signs OF which are yet presente
mol and favored by smaller receipts,
VIZ slightly higher on the week and gu
ers tatons are now about where they we
OF before the late break. Grey cotto
se- have given Slightly, but the price
'n- still above parity with finished pro
aid ucts. Wool is fairly active, mostly t
res territory grades, but the wooden goo
situation is still unchanged Lumb
az is dull at retail, but firmly held
y 10 wholesalers, who look for a trade ne
.ne year. Bad weather restricts loggil
yer operations in the northwest. Easite
lilu shoe manufacturers are well suppl
W. with orders and leather Is firm,
uct o{doc No u1perallv rerorfed ~ dull a