Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-10-27
MORE CONSERVATISM
INCREASE IN THIS FEELING FOL-
LOWS THE DEVELOPMENTS
OF THE PAST WEEK.
Reports of Bradstreet and Dun lndi-
cate An IrreguIarity All Along the
Line - Railway Gross Earnings
Are More Moderate Than Last Year

New York Oct, 24.-Bradstreet's Re-
view says today:
The weeks developments have IA
Nored an increase in the conservatism
which has ruled in many lines for
some time. Buying is not so confident
and smaller quantities are taken than
year ago at this time. Actual needs,
which, after all, are large, and not
speculative feeling, dominate demand.
Good and poor reports combine to give
an appearance of irregularity to gem
eral trade as a whole. Railway gross
earnings are more moderate than ear
lier in the year, but still reflect good
gains in the volume of traffic over
year ago. Car shortages are not COM
planned of much outside the lumber
trade.
Seasonal shutdowns of outside work
on railroad improvements suspensions
of iron furnaces and copper, coal and
iron ore mills have rendered many
thousands of persons idle. On the
other hand the long standing curtail-
ment of cotton mills is becoming
thing of the past, and some shutdown
steel mills have resumed.
Colder weather is needed to stimu-
late retail demand for dry goods and
heavy clothing.
Holiday Trade Opens Well.
Holiday goods are opening well, and
the outlook is regarded as favorable
for this line. Woolens are in smaller
demand than expected, While a slight
gain is noted in clothing. Mild wealth
er affects the fur trade. More is do
ing in HARDWARE. and the building
trades arp working into better condi-
ton.
The iron and steel trades do not
show much, if any, change. Prices are
weak. Fig iron sales are of small
lots to fili hand to mouth demand, and
talk of a. 40 per cent instead of %
per cent cut in furnace production is
heard. in finished lines more relative
strength is noted, but demand here is
quiet without affecting quotations as
seriously as in cruder forms. There
are signs of a reawakening interest in
export trade.
Exports of Grain.
Wheat, including flour, exports for
the week ending Oct. % aggregate A.
265,OSO bushels against 2,S65610 last
4,952,13l in 1901. and 4,9S2,97S in 1900.
| For sixteen weeks of the cereal year
they aggregate 49S06774 bushels,
against s3,S26S19 in 1902, 95,5S0,959 in
| 1901. and 56,216,311 in 1900
/ Corn exports for the week aggre-
| gate 1,S09,SS5 bushels, against 1,410,-
I 412 last week, S4,564 a year ago, and
4 1,1SS 2SS in 1901 and 3,365,651 in 1900.
4 For sixteen weeks of the present ce-
| real year they aggregate 17,05o,537
| bushels, against 1,57S,S46 in 1902, a.
/ 639,1S3 in 1901 and 4s,S47,o4s in 1900.
Business failures in the United stat
i es for the week ending with Oct. %
MURDER 216, against 203 last week,
/ 1874 in the like week of 1902, 223 in 1901,
l in, ma in, lS2Q In Cana n
4 failures for the week number 20.
i against II last week and 23 in this
4 week a year ago.
4 Duns Review of Trade.
Il f. G.. Dun & Co.'S Weekly Review OF
Il Trade. says:
Y Numerous labor controversies have
\ appeared and more furnaces and mills
A have closed the tendency being to OPP
] crate only the plants equipped with
4 the most modern equipment. There is
no anxiety regarding legislation at the
I special session of congress, and, de-
4 spite the curtailmeut of activity in the
Il manufacturing lines, a heavy volume
OF business is being transacted. Flour
mills at Minneapolis have fully re-
sumed, and a big seasons cut is con-
templated at Minnesota lumber mills
Western traffic facilities are PROVING
), inadequate, the distribution of mer-
!, chandise being enormous at the interi-
or, and, taking the country as a whole
conditions may he considered fairly
satisfactory, although there are indis
putable evidences that abnormal actiy
: ity has received check.
Efforts are being made to secure for
5 eign trade, with fair prospects of sue
cess, particularly in several lines o
machinery and other high-class pro
ducts. Bank failures in the Pittsburl
region have added to the unsettled
condition of the iron and steel indus
try, and the financial situation is large
ly responsible for the postponement o
contemplated structural work.
Large contracts have been placed TO
j, spring shipments of shoes and price
. are somewhat firmer on a few lines
while others are steady and firm i
, tone. Heavy henlock sole leather
strong, but other grades decline in re
Spouse to the general weakness of do
II nestle hides.
8 Failures this week numbered 219 !
4 the United States, compared with %
:, last year. and in Canada twenty-sia
J against twenty-five a year ago.