The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-29
TRADE PICKS up.
Weather Conditions Have
Caused Great Improvement.
Distribution of Winter Goods
Has Been Accelerated.
RAILBAD EARNINGS
Continue to Show Gains Over
the Previous Year.
A Tremendous Holiday Trade
Is Looked Forward To.

New York, Nov. pr. G. Dun & Co. 5
Weekly Review of Trade says:
weather conditions have provided the
only important developments of the past
week in the business world. Excessive
rains in some sections, notably the
southwest. facilitate the distribution oil
heavy footwear, overshoes and kindred
lines. while seasonably low temperature
at other points increased the movement
Of winter wearing apparel. These infiu-
ences. together with a large Thanksgiv-
Ing trade in food products, stimulated
retail dealings very materially. JCpblng
and Wholesale trade is fully maintained
and manufacturing plants have orders
lar ahead but in many cases the coke
shortage retards operations. Hallway
officials are making every effort to re
neve the freight congestion, especially
In the vicinity of Fittsburg, but thus lar
there is little evidence Of Improvement
Gross earnings are fully maintained. for
November thus far exceeding last year
by SO per cent, and those of 1909 by lb.1
per cent while it IS anticipated that
higher freight rates VIII onset the ati-
~Vances in wages, Sustaining net earn
inSs.
Inquiries for pig iron becames more
urgent as the scarcity grows more acute
Furnaces are added to the idle list Wheu
there is full occupation for every plant
in the country but the fuel shortage is
not perceptibly improved Coke corn
mancs high premiums according to the
needs Of consumers. and IRON IS SIM
ilarly held at an abnormal position by
the insufficient supply Even foreign
pig iron has not arrived at speclheu
dates, while new orders have been placed
abroad covering distant deliveries. 1t
is fully apparent that domestic needs
will continue to exceed available sup
plies for many months to come. The
pressure is less severe in the various fin
1Shed lines. aside from structural steel
and railway eQlliDQlent Numerous DrU-
jected additions to mileage, improved
terminals and increased rolling stock
insure activity at the shops for months
TO come. Machinery houses. boiler
works and makers Of heavy hardwal
are all far behind with orders and prac-
tically every section of the iron and steel
industry is entirely in control of sellers.
prospective purchasers having to make
all the concessions. Minor metals, on the
other hand, are generally weaker. tin
being especially depressed. Silver bull
lion has fallen to much the lowest price
on record, the intrinsic value of a silver
dollar now being about 80 cents.
a distinctly firmer tone perVades the
market for footwear orders coming for
ward freely for spring goods. The lead
ing snOe manufacturers have taken large
lots OF eatner, especially hemlock sole,
giving a frmer tone to the market and
reducing stocks. Foreign dry hides are
n limited supply and we'll held. There
IS stu no inclination to place large or
ders tor distant delivery of cotton goods
but steady current demand fully alb
Serbs the limited stocks, and buyers are
otteh compelled to hunt for desired lines
o. staple cloths. Printed and woven pa
termed goods for spring are selling free
~ on forward business. The better tone
that appeared some weeks go in wool
Ems mas hnally caused moderate ad-
vance in staple lines for spring
Failures for the week numbered 213
IN the United States. against 1S2 last
ygaE' ana sixteen in Canada, compared
Bradstreet's says:
Warm weather has been, and in
some instances is, the only apparent
drawback to Gistributive trade. but low.
tr teln PEI. lures and early holiday buy
ing nave tended to minimize this de
nclency. That large. in fact unpre-
cedented, holiday demand will deyelon is
cohHuentIy predicted. all sections of the
couHtiy senalnS this report While
weather dulled retail trade has affected
orders from western jobbers. wholesal lie
trade as a whole is in excess of a wear
ago, and comf0rta BILE increases are ex-
ptcleu 10 pe hnally shown in nearly
every department of trade General in
dustry IS active the country over. mani
ulactuters and producers being still
urgently pushed to deliver on orders
DooAe4 some time ago. Some improve.
ment Is noted il the Transportation CON
geston, largely because of sDecial o.
lolls made 70 break the blockade at
Elttsburg and further west. bur tha car
sAAot eo1r - sun Il matter of WOrriment
TO the railroad men and to merchants
ana dealers whose goods are DELAYED
tHeIeoy. Inc influence of last Years
crop shortages is gradually disaDpear-
ing Lower prices for cereals nrovisior,e
and finished iron and steel give hone of
better export tlade and the possibility
OF cutting down some of the unfavor-
able balance shown early this year Col
Iections are in majority of cases stiu
good exceptions noted being the effect
OF mild weather in the northwest and
too much rain in Texas.
There is a rather more cheerful tope
in the iron trade partly the result of i'm.
proVement in fuel supplies at the west
and partly the result Of larger bllvfnr a.
the east. Little or no Improvement II
the coke shortage in that immediate dis
trict is noted Finished products ar,
hrmer IN tone. This is a dun season
usually. in the iron trade and with tn,
quoting down has come talk of c,lttins
prices at the west. but confirmation n
these reports is generally lacking. Tn.
eagerness of consumers to get supplies
added to the reluctancy of sellers to en-
gage Tor deliveries any further Rhaa,
than 1903, is taken to indicate that nex
years business viii be very large. Rathe
more than usual scasonable activity /
noted IN hardware Among the othe
metals copper is weaker in tone and tend
downward on increased offerings an.
weak foreign markets, while tin is ais
lower.
Cotton goods feel the stimulating ef
fects of higher prices for the raw mater
ial- SDecialties in imported cottons ar
active with jobbers. mercerized product
s===--------------...----