Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-01-15
DEALERS PAY
BILLS ON time
Prompt Collections Demon
strate the Stability of
Trade.
FUEL CONTINUES TO BE SCARCE
Shortage In Coal and Coke Causes
High Prices and curtaiIs Purchasing
Power Of the PeopIe-Affects Cost
Of Manufacture.

at the opening of the new year. Dis.
tribution of merchandise is heavy and
manufacturers are pressed for prompt
delivery. Orders for spring goods
came freely, and in some lines there
is more than a sample business in fall
weights. Tardy deliveries in the past
lead purchasers to anticipate require
ments more than heretofore and or
ders are being placed far in advance OF
actual needs" The foregoing is from
the weekly trade review of r. G. Dun
& Co. 1t continues:
Fuel Situation.
The fuel situation Is still the one
seriously disturbing element, render.
ing abnormally high the cost of manu-
featuring and restricting the purchas.
ing power Of almost the entire popula
ton. Fortunately. this comes at a
time of exceptional prosperity. or
there would be general contraction
OF consumption in other lines. There
is little interruption to work because
of labor disputes. but many operations
are interrupted by the delay in tran
sit of needed materials. Railway
freight rates were advanced, and one
result will be loss of expectation
from Eastern cities, the traffic being
detected to New Orleans.
Coke is Scarce.
I'm the iron and steel industry the
most significant event of the week was
the discussion regarding the profit
sharing proposal by the leading pro
Queer. Inadequate supplies of coke
are still restricting operations. Con
tracts for the new year were made at
81 a ton, but prompt deliveries often
commanded Sc or 81, and at Chicago
some sales were reported at $40. Pie
iron continues scarce, prices generally
advancing during the last week, and
the expected advance of 81 ton was
made in wire products.
Much new business has come for.
ward, especially in bars and sheets,
which had been comparatively quiet
while there is a vigorous demand for
structural material to be used in
DrluBe WOrk ana cur SHOPS.
Doinss In Footwear.
New England producers of footwear
are busy on spring orders and few
deliveries have already been made, al.
though shipments are light in these
lines as yet.
Exceptional activity in rubber goods
has reduced supplies to an unusually
low point. Exports of hemlock sole
continue heavy.
THE best event as to cottons has
been the continued buying for export
which has exceeded expectations very
largely. The print cloth market has
ruled firm. The demand for oyercoat.
ings for next fall has not come MP to
expectations.
Failures for the week numbered
$50 in the United States, against 37a
last year, and "a in Canada, compared
with "a year ago."
Grain Products.
Bradstreets gives the following fig.
ures on grain:
Wheat, including -four, exports fol
the week ending Jan. s aggregate s.
09S,951 bushels. against 3,436,206 last
week, 3,567,710 in this week year
ago, and 5,961 ,095 in 1901. Wheat ex.
ports since July aggregate 135,763,17e
bushels, against 153,313,937 last sea
son and 03,S74,914 in 1900. Corn ex.
ports aggregate 2,S56,9S6 bushels
against 2,537.542 last week, 136.s73 a
year ago and 4,s97,345 in 1901. For
the fiscal year exports are 1883, 406
bushels, against 20.957, 1854 last season
and 103,750,945 in 1901"