Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-13
CONDITION OF OMAHA'S TRADE
Winter Goods Move Slowly, but Spring
Lines in Active Demand.
MARKETS SHOW But LITTLE CHANGE
Comparatively Few Failures Among
Retailers Reported, Majority of
Them Peine In Good Finan-
cial Condition.

Local jobbers report the volume OF busi-
ness for the last week az being of very
satisfactory proportions for this season Of
the year. They have not been exactly
rushed with orders. hut at the same time
they have been having "a better trade than
they usually do at this season Of the year.
The only unfavorable feature is the lack Of
extremely cold weather to make heavy
weight winter goods move more freely.
stocks In the country are not broken az
much as they should be at this season of
the year. and a result trade in winter
lines Is confined mostly TO small orders
and calls for odd sizes. The winter is so
far advanced now that jobbers do not
think that retailers will any more than
clean out their present stocks. and conse-
uuently wholesalers are not counting on
selling many more heavyweight goods this
Spring orders are coming In rapidly and
J9ooers express themselves as being highly
Whenever travelling men find n man who
mas not placed his order they have little
difficulty in landing hin. for a good order
The majority OF merchants are looking for
the spring demand to set In early this year
usual 10 get their stocks on hand as soon
The markets as a whole are in Just about
The same position they were week ago.
Prices are firm all along the line and In
so far as can be seen now ali Indications
point to good, firm markets for some time
for any radical changes in the immediate
snt,n future though little later when I'll, The
probably rule In n number OF lines.
Sugar Advanced Ten Points.
About the only important change in the
grocery market Is the advance OF ~ cents
Foreign % market on ''r raWs '' is o. auoted higher
than It was a week ago. both for spot
stocks and for futures, and as the, demand
all over the country II exceptionally heavy
for this season Of the year iobbers are pre-
dieting stil higher quotations on the re-
fined grades to go into effect In the near
Tho coffee market is Just about the same
stock is concerned The Lyon and Arbuckle
PEOPLE are stu y cent apart in their 1u2nta; ,no,
would be made the same the change has
not taken place as yet. The green market
ns nas os na pcas m s ra new bod ab
where they were before the little furry.
IN 'Ns dried fruit situation and probably
will be none until the demand shows some
signs OF improving. The dried fruit trade
s9tIsfactory. 3 STA S as " the ia lack Of cold weather
has materially lessened the consuming de;
mand There Is nothing new In canned
present is a little quiet, as is apt to be tho
case at this season of the year II Is
thought. though, that In month or so
there will be great Improvement In the
demand
able that higher prices will rule on several
Active Hardware Market.
Hardware jobbers claim that so much
no time for invoicing their stock OF goods
Tho first Of January Is usually very quiet
but that does not seem to be the case this
year and local houses are having about all
the business they can comfortably handle.
There is nothing new to be said about the
changed. The market. though, is In a good
healthy condition and the outlook for the
future is most encouraging. Glass men
are predicting higher prices to 20 into ef-
feet at most any time. and as result local
dealers are doing a rushing business. as
merchants are all anxious to lay In Il sup
ply before prices advance.
Receiving Spring stocks.
Local dry goods houses now busy
changing stocks and getting in their spring
more complete lines than they ever have
before they are receiving exceptionally
large ;hpmenSsS Their stocks nU are ar ,nw
filling some of their orders and shipments
are being made particularly to the far west.
In few DAYS now the bulk of their goods
will be on hand and then advance orders
will be shipped out at rapid rate. Trave'-
on the road with their spring samples and
everything now points to the largest spring
trade ever experienced II looks now as
twice as much this year as the one house
did last year. The cause for that Is that
before are now coming to this market. as
they realize that Omaha can supply them
with all their requirements.
Market conditions Just about the
same as they were at last report Advces
from eastern markets show that manufac-
turers are holding their lines at good,
strong prices and are counting on doing a
rushing business from now on. as indica =
tions are that the demand all over the
country is going to be exceptionally heavy
throughout the spring and summer. That
being the case there Is not much chance for
,1xla 1iBar for iVnn fA
Boots and shoes Rather Quiet.
Boot and shoe jobbers are doing very
little. so far as immediate business is con-
stocks as well as they should have done
and consequently they are not buying any
more goods. They are however, ordering
freely for their spring and summer trade,
as they seem to have no fear of spring
business being disappointing.
Rubber goods iobbers also having
rather a quiet time. The snow of last
week created nuite a demand for rubber
goods. but still retailers in most cases
have enough on hand to supply their GUS
toners and are not ordering much addi-
tionsl stock. Jobbers, though, are not doing
much complaining as taking the year as a
whole they have done a very satisfactory
amount of business. Collections are steadily
improving and comparatively few bust
chants a general thing are IN good sha ne
financially and are settling their accounts
Representatives OF local houses are now
on the road with spring lines and are taxi
ing quite few orders for mackintoshes and
that class OF goods.
Fruits and Produce.
Trade with fruit and produce merchants
IL showing some signs of Improvement. but
still they are not being buried with orders
II Is thought however. that there will be
marked Improvement in very short
time. There have been no changes In
prices since last report worthy OF mention.
Butter eggs and poultry are also selling
about the same as they were week ago
though there have heen some slight fuctua-
tions In poultry. The prices at which Il is
selling will be found in another column.
NEW YORK GENERAL MARKET.
Quotations of the Day on Various
Commodities,