Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-07-23
TRADE OUTLOOK
IS ENCOURAGING
Better Weather and Disappear
ance of Labor Troubles
Are Factors.
CCoPS MAKING GOoDPROGRESs
Railway Traffic Is Increasing, Earn.
ings Exceeding Those Of Previous
Years-Iron Market Is Unsettled
Structural Steel in Better Demand.

New York, July 20.-"Conditions
continue satisfactory outside the re-
gion of speculation, many reports IN
dicating further improvement. Dur
ing recent months the two disturbing
factors have been labor controversies
and weather. conditions, but each
week has brought better things in
these two respects until the outlook
contains much that is encouraging.
Crops are making rapid progress, and
the army of unemployed is diminish.
ing" according to r. G. Dun & Co.'S
Weekly Review of Trade. Continu-
ing tie report says:
Railway Traffic.
Railway traffic is heavy, earnings
thus far reported for July exceeding
last years by 1876 per cent and those
of 1901 by 1872 per cent. Retail trade
in seasonable merchandise Is fully up
to the average, and there is less thaa
the customary midsummer quiet
among wholesalers, while the prepar-
atoms of jobbers and manufacturers
indicate. confidence in a large fall
business.
Unsettled conditions still exist In
forge and foundry pig iron markets,
while Bessemer iron is only barely
steady. The chief difficulty appears
to be the lowest possible quotations.
This is condition to be expected in
a declining market, but appears I'M
usually aggravating in the present in.
stance. Current consumption is heavy
and the delay is only in connection
with distant deliveries.
Labor Troubles.
Structural steel begins to reflect
the settlement of labor troubles In
the building trades, but several i'm.
portant undertakings have been post
poned until next year, two large
buildings at Pittsburg being conspic-
uous examples. Merchant steel and
pipe are in better demand, several
large contracts being under negotia-
ton. Steel rails are sold well into
1904, and other railway equipment is
still one of the best features in the
industry. Southern iron furnaces and
steel mills are affected adversely by
the coal miners strike, although there
is a belief that settlement will not
long be delayed.
Cotton Stocks.
1T is a season of uncertainty In the
manufacture of cotton goods, and
cothing in the nature of Improvement
IAN be expected until the artificial
position of the raw material is radical.
ly altered. Supplies Of cotton goods
in first hands are low and there is no
effort to make spot sales. Buyers fill
their requirements for immediate dis.
tribution, but in no department of this
great industry is there any inclination
to anticipate needs of even the near
future. AS supplies diminish there is
a corresponding stiffening of quota
lions. Mills are steadily curtailing
production both here and abroad.
Wooiens and silks.
New light weight woolens are be
ing opened, with fair results only,
buyers exhibiting no anxiety regard
ing the future. Silks are firm owing
to curtailed production aud the high
price commanded by the raw mate
rial. Western jobbers are operating
freely in the Boston footwear market
both on contracts for spring goods
and supplementary fall orders. East
ern wholesalers are also purchasing
additional fall supplies, and New Eng
land factories are fully occupied.
Failures number 21S in the United
States, against 213 last year, and six.
teen in Canada, compared with twenty
year ago."