The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-04

upon general business activity. do not
entirely explain the immense increase
shown in widely separate sections.
and the only remaining conditions is
that unprecedented fall trade, there
being of larger crops at higher prices
and immense cattle receipts and unsur
passed industrial activity are charge
able with the numerous and heavy
gains shown Failure returns, too. are
almost entirely favora bic, the number OF
embarrassments being the smallest. with
two exceptions. of ten years and the
liabilities being the lightest, with one
exception. in 20 years
Trade kilograms to Bradstreet's this
week. while pointing to some letting up
in the heretofore active iobbing de-
mand at nearly ALI centers-oartly the
result, by the way. of religious obser-
vances- all testify TO the fall and win
ter trade already booked having been
exceptionally good, in most vases in ex-
cess of preceding years. and crop yields
except ii some sections, guaranteeing 4
full volume of business in the remain
ing months of this year and the early
part of 1908. Personal buying at lead
ing western jobbing centerS is not so ac-
tive as some time ago, but increased
sales by travellers result in a very
heavy business for this time. Except for
a few scattered pessimistic reports from
the south, advices from that section are
generally of a fair to good trade. with
improved collections. At the east a
large distribution OF dry SOOQS IS nOteO
at such cities as Philadelphia. New
York and Baltimore. Hides and leather
are strong and active and shoe manu-
facturers are pretty generally employ
ed.
Rather less strength Is noted in some
lines OF the iron and steel business than
heretofore. but the quoting down in the
cruder forms is due to scarcity of fuel
and of pig iron. necessitating shutdowns
of steel mills as much as the flood OF
foreign iron, which appears to be stead
lily increasing. Special investigation
shows that receipts of foreign iron and
steel in August exceeded 10000 tons, but
it is worth noting that exports of iron
and steel and their products, mostly
machinery, are still more than double
the imports for that month. More in
quiry for Big iron for the last half OF
1903 is noted at Chicago. and it is also
observed that new orders for rails
structural materials and plates cannot
be guaranteed delivery until the last
half of next year. Many steel mills in
the Pittsburg district have closed for
rather lower quotations for Bessem er
pig and steel billets, prices for which
are not quite as large as a year ago
The refusal of the tin workers to ac-
/ cept lower wages in order that Welsh
plates may be shut out has resulted IN
/ the shutdown of a number of mills. and
this is expected to throw some addition
/ al tonnage of the crude material on the
market Structural and plate mills are
crowded with orders, but sheets have
| been cut IS a ton.
Eastern cotton goods manufacturers
I report q quiet demand but this is as
much due to their own unwillingness to
/ sell freely ahead as it is to the con-
suners desire to wait on the raw cot
+ ton market, which. more noticeably than
+ in recent years. seems to regulate the
course of the manufactured products
! The strength Of the foreign demand for
this staple has largely offset the much
/ heavier and earlier moving of the crop
to market. Woolen mills are we'll en-
Dloyed both on recorders for winter
: trade and as regards spring business,
and large interests are reported to be
actively buying wool this week