The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-01-02
TRADE REVIEW.
Holiday business Exceedingly Heavy
activity In Iron and Steel
and other Industries.

New York, Dec. 25.--Braostreets sayss
sReports Of a record-breaking holiday
trade, OF seasonable quiet in leading whole-
sale lines, OF exceptional activity al top
prices Ia iron and steel. Of sustained actlv-
ity In other industries. continued complaint
Of car and motive power shortages, apo
general hardening of speculative markets
for food products, are the features OF trade
advices TO Bradstreets this week THIS
year closes with a cheerfulness OF feenns
never exceeded even Of late years, ano with
expectation of the new year as bright as
any that have gone before. Specially good
reports as TO holiday distribution come
from the east, central west, northwest ana
southwest. Advices from some parts OF the
south are tempered with pessimism born
Of the unsatisfactory yields OF cotton IN
some sections. In the west Chicago SENDS
a particularly fine report, but st. Louis.
Kansas City, Cincinnati, st. Joseph and
Omaha send reports of the best holiday
trade In years. Chicago jobbing business
Is the best on record ard 10 per cent.
larger than last year, and the reports OF
cattle movement are good from there ana
other packing centers. The year closes
with burst OF activity in iron and steel.
Pig iron sales for the week have never been
equaled at this season, and lack OF ade-
quate transport facilities alone Is bar to
a son greater volume of distribution. The
outlook is for production Of 100000 tons
Of pig iron, of 100000 tons Of ore and OF
race, 900 tons of steel in 1901"
The annual review of American trade,
finance and Industry prepared by Brad
streets declares 1901 to be a ''record-break-
err among the five succeeding years OF
commercial expansion enjoyed by the
United States. Its prominence, the re-
view states, was all the more notable be-
cause it suffered from a combination OF
happenings that In a normal year would
have proved depressing If not disastrous.
Enumerated in the latter were the ma
chinists' and steel strikes, the stock panic
of May, the failure of several imprudent!y
managed combinations, the efforts Of some
combinations, including that in copper,
to fix prices, the shortage in corn, cotton
and oats, and the assassination of Presi-
dent Mckinley. The bank clearings are
estimated at $l1S.O00, 10000, a gain of IS
per cent. over last year and Is per cent
over the record of 1899. The middle states
showed the greatest increases in clear
ings. The failures for the year are placed
at l0.775, with aggre gate liabilities of $780,
10000 and assets of 100000 Wheat has
reached the highest point since 1885; corn
and oats are higher than for almost dec
ade, and other produce has sympathiZed.
r. G. Dun & Co.'S Weekly Review of
Trade says: "If any evidence was needed
of the unparalleled prosperity with which
this nation has been blessed during the
past year, the expenditure for Christmas
gifts and decorations should be ample.
Distribution of Christmas gifts among the
employees Of large firms and corporations
was on the same scale, often the increase
over last year amounting to 100 per cent,
while the pTofit-sharing at the end of the
year will reach unprecedented figures. 1t
is noticed that southern trade shows less
satisfactory gains over last year than at
other sections, which is not surprising, as
the principal product of the south has
averaged from s. to SO bale less than
a year ago, while the quantity thus
far marketed shows no commensurate
Increase. Following closely upon the
interruption by floods and storms last
week, transporting and manufacturing
facilities were further handicapped by
numerous accidents. Iron furnaces and
steel mills were tied up, and the movement
Of coke was hampered. This resulted in
such insufficient supplies of fuel that many
stacks were banked at a time when full
activity was especially desired. A de-
cidediy high price level has been main
tanned for the leading staples, with OPP
ton trading OF good dimensions despite
the double holiday at the Produce ex-
change. Wheat recovered most of the re-
cent moderate decline, supported by fair
~ steady demand. Interior receipts were
light, and -four mills have been handi-
capped by the car shortage, which made ii
difficult TO bring in raw material or take
out the finished product. Corn continues
about 90 per cent. above the price year
ago.
Failures for the week numbered go in
the United States, against 81 last year, and
% In Canada, against IS last year"