Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-09-18
EXPANSION IS
NOTED IN TRADE
All Branches of Industry Dis
play Marked Increase
in Activity,
RETAILERS ARE DOING WELL
Inadequate Supply Of Fuel Is Appar.
ent IN the Iron and Steel Industry,
but importations Keep Prices at
Reasonable Level.

New York. Sept. 15.--"Industrial &C.
tiyity is greater than at any recent
date. Many new factories and mills
have been added to the productive ca
pacity. facilities are being increased
at old plants, and idle shops resumed
through the settlement Of labor con-
troversies. A coke blockade still ex-
lists, the railways being unable to
handle the output. which is above all
records and In urgent request. Despite
the rapid development of Transports
ton facilities the nations needs have
grown still faster and the situation Is
distressing for shippers and consum-
ers. Large crops are being harvested
and the greater abundance of food
stuffs caused a decline in prices of
commodities during August of 3.5 per
cent. as measured by Dun's index
number.
Bank Exchanges Grow.
Retail trade is large with bright
outlook for the future in jobbing and
Wholesale business. There are few of
the cancellations SO numerous at this
time last year, while collections are
improving. An advance of 22.9 per
cent In bank exchanges at New York
over the same week last year cannot
be explained by speculation, as deal
fngs in stocks were also heavy In
1901. Railway earnings in August ex.
ceeded last years by AZ per cent and
those Of 1900 by 1871 per cent"
Fuel Shortage Felt.
r. G. Dun & Co.'S Weekly Review
Of Trade MAKES the foregoing sum-
mary. Continuing, the Review says:
Although the weekly capacity of
pig iron furnac IS in blast on Septem-
Der was reported as 5,1s9 tons by
the Iron Age, 1t has since been appre-
ciably curtailed by the inadequate sup
ply Of fuel, on which account numer-
Gus furnaces were blown out, or at
least banked. As consumptive re-
quirements are increasing 1t is neces-
sary to place orders abroad more ex-
tensively, and in some cases the en-
tire output Of foreign plants has been
secured.
Not only raw material. but billets
and even rails are sought In other
markets, German mills offering the
best terms In most cases. Heavy i'm
portations have prevented further ad-
vance In quotations, but domestic pro-
ducers have a ready market for their
output, contracts still running far into
the future. Railways are in great
Of ,A oh
Equipment.
Boots and Shoes Firm.
New England producers Of boots
ana shoes are insisting ON full prices,
and some grades that were slow to re-
spond are now sharing the improve
mint. No sign of weakness is seen
in leather, some selections rising still
more, particularly the better grades
of sole and betting butts. Slight re-
actions have occurred in some packer
and country hides, but most lines are
still firmly held. Liberal receipts have
not depressed foreign dry hides. Tex
tile mills are well occupied, with
prices sustained In all cases, and mod
crate advances in some cotton goods.
which are N demand for quick deliv-
cry.
Wool Is Quiet.
with the exception Of early orders
there has come quiet market for
woolens and worsteds. but mills have
large contracts on hand.
Low stocks of wheat and poor
grading of receipts. together with
fears of frost in corn sections, sus-
tanned quotations when decnne
would have been imminent II full con-
fidcnce were placed in official returns
OF condition.
Failures for the week numbered
EOS in the United States, against 1873
last year, and twenty-five in Canada,
against eighteen year ago"
MoRos FIRE ON AMERICANS