The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-08
Amount of Advertising
carried by the Minne-
apolis Papers for October
The Week in Business.

The Week in Business.
It was reported during the week that
the railroads Of the middle west were
sending out instructions to commercial
agents and freight men to cease solicit
ing business for the present. On some
lines touching the northwest, solicitors
were instructed to seek only the class of
business paying the highest returns. No
where has there been muchs competition
for freight, for the railroads-over
burdened with business and obliged to
refuse calls for cars every day, have not
concerned themselves as closely as usual
about the distribution of tonnage at COM
peting points The inadequacy of the rail-
road equipment of the country for the
handling Of the business in it's present
enormous volume has been commented
upon for some time. The situation on
the whole Is as bad now as it has ever
been. while in particular localities 1t Is
v7orse.
How soon change will come Is a hard
question. Railroad officials are chary
about making promises and do not hold
out hope for relief for some time yet.
Corn and cotton will begin moving in
greater quantity shortly, while cold
weather will mean urgent demand for
more coal cars. A feature Of greatS i'm
portance was the disposition shown bt the
southwestern railroads to concilate their
employees, and while there has been little
granted in the way of advances in the
wage scale, the roads will meet the men
half way or any readjustment proposition
that is fair.
The argument is heard that while the
roads earning more money now than
ever before, the high prices of everything
that enters into maintenance and new
equipment are a serious drawback, that
operating expenses are running proper
tionately larger, and that the net earnings
are not so large as would be inferred from
the enormous business being handled
. The boom in stocks that had been
looked for after election failed to ma
terialize. AS there was little excuse for
alarm in the first place so there was not
enough change in the political situation
following the election to cause any shift
ing Of sentiment The president and all
that he stands for met endorsement at
the hands of the people. There is great
confidence in the future, but not more
than existed previously. The views OF
f1nanciers who argued that this election
would bear lightly upon speculative SEN
timent were sound 1t is the money stu
alton that dominates Wall street, and
there is rot likely to be an important
long sustained rise until there is again a
surplus Of money in the New York banks
seeking an increment.
All the mercantile lines are active and
there has been a rush Of merchandise into
the coal regions where the purchasing
power has been in good part restored
The northwest had the stimulus of cooler
weather late in the week which helped re-
tail distribution.
The fuel situation remains the dom.
mating feature in iron. Should present
prices curtail demand for finished ma.
terial no very serious harm will follow fol
q time as much business is booked ahead
The Pacific coast has been doing a large
export business in flour and lumber ant
in wheat The local flour demand is
lighter but the mills are we'll sold aheat
and even if new business should run ligh
for several weeks, which is unlikely, thu
mills will continue grinding heavily
The wheat market having sagged of
2 cents fro recent high points, made
still lower turn on Wednesday when tn,
Increased receipts over the election da,
holiday brought 1,211 cars into Mime
apolis. The weakness apparently spen
itself in this downturn which forced tn
December option to 7oAc, and recover.
followed. There has been no change /,
general sentiment here which is firm. To
bushels in Minneapolis wheat stocks, tn
third successive weekly gain, yet eve1
now the quantity totals only 1886, At
bushels, while of No. 1 northern, the de
sirable milling grade, there Is only 1,414,
OIL bushels. Duluth has been selling
business on the decline and shipping an
milling demand in general, was good
There are some bearish features, tn
principal one being the increasing pri
mary movement, but local traders are no
inclined to be bearish in view of the acut
situation here. @4z
lone of the last acts of the late Mrs
Elizabeth Cady Stanton's life was t
write letter to President Roosevelt ask