Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-28
BIG BUSINESS PERIOD
Commercial Reviews Show Past
Months TO Be OF Unequa!ed
Trade.
Unreasonable Weather Now a
Drawback on Business and
Corn Crop.
Financial Conditions Exception
ally Satisfactory-Manuiac-
turers Busy.

New York, June 2S.-Bradstreet's
Weekly Review of Trade today says:
| The current week closes a six months
period which, as regards volume of
business done-eXcept speculation
and general prosperity at the close. has
had few equals and no superiors. Thus
ends quite satisfactorily a fiscal year
| which, owing to smaller crop yields,
gave little promise at its opening. No
| ground appears to have been lost but
on the contrary distinct gains over the
best of previous years have been noted
in many lines. Profits may have been
smaller, but the volume of bus!pess
turned over has about made up for
this Export trade in agricultural
products is one of the few lines to sui
| fer in comparison with previous years.
| Unreasonable country weather is
drawback to retail distribution ana ar
rests the progress of the corn crop
east and west Confidence in the out
look, however, is evidenced by the con-
tinued heavy buying for fall delivery
noted in the great grain growing sec
lions of the west This is also reflected
| by the continued large increases IN
railway earnings over the best results
| of previous years, except where, as IN
the case of coal roads, distribution is
paralyzed by the wholesale shutdown
| of production and consumption. Aside
| from this single exception, however,
the general industrial situation has
rather improved.
| The price movement has been irreg-
ular, in keeping with varying weather
conditions, as far as agricultural prod
ucts are concerned. Cotton moved
higher earlier on continued dry wealth
er reports from Texas and Louisiana,
but rains at the close of the week in
southern Texas gave hopes of change
| here In the rest of the cotton belt
| conditions are OF favorable character.
| In cereals the features have been the
strength of corn, on reports of cold
weather and the advance in oats due
to short supplies and large cash de-
mand. Wheat has fuctuated within
narrow limits, but the large decreases
in supplies have constituted a balance
to the quite favorable reports as to the
winter and spring planted crops.
At this, the usually dullest period of
|
merchandise is still very large. The
coal strike dulls trade at the leading
eastern markets. A lull in the demand
for lumber at retail is noted at New
York, Philadelphia and other cities, but
the mills are firm as to prices. Builders
hardware sales are far ahead of last
year. Lower prives for print cloths
have not evoked surprise in the east,
| l,,,Y in hpl
| induced good sales. Wooleus note a
better demand and raw wool is steady,
| rejecting good reports from the cloth
| ing branch of the trade. Crude forms
of iron and steel are in as good demand
as ever.
Considerable business has been
booked in pig iron for next year
Foundry pig is especially scarce and
| spot deliveries command fancy prices.
Plates, bars and structural material
are also active and the latter is ordered
| far ahead Foreign iron and steel are
being bought freely and old material is
being carefully looked after Other
metals are dull and lower, copper and
tin being especially very much weaker.
Business failures for the week in the
United States number 1913, as against
| 1T last week; 1876 in this week last
year 1856 in 1900 15S in 1899, and 173
| in 1898.
Dun's Review.
r. G. Dun & Co.'s Weekly Review of
| Trade today says:
Foreign markets were badly dis
arranged by the sudden illness of the
king and there was much liquidation
prior to the closing of British ex-
changes from Wednesday afternoon to
Monday morning. Domestic financial
conditions are exceptionally satisfac-
tory and trade is well maintained, al
| the low temperatures interfered with
| the distribution of midsummer special
| ties. Manufacturing operations have
increased in activity, especially in the
iron and steel industry and textile pro-
duction, while the construction work
on new buildings and bridges is very
heavy. Labor difficulties have not i'm
proved in the anthracite coal region,
but numerous settlements have been
effected elsewhere Railway earnings
thus far reported for June exhibit an
average increase of 4.6 per cent over
last year and III per cent over 1900.
| Most of the blast furnaces that We're
stopped by the scarcity of anthracite
coal have resumed with coke, of which
the ovens have established new records
of output and shipments have been
| still larger owing to the stocks accu
mulated during the car shortage.
Agricultural prospects are far above
the average and rapid progress is made
with winter wheat harvesting.
Spring Fever.