The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-03

/ ~ Co.'S Weekly Review of Trade to-
morrow win say:
/ Despite the Interruption Of a holiday.
taking Of inventories and other disturb
ing elements incidental to the closing OF
+ the old year. the past week has been FAR
/ from dull Consumers We're not per
! cepubly Iessening purchases while the
I approach of higher freight rates ac-
/ CELEBRATED shipment Of goods. Trans
pOrtauon facilities continue utterly in
/ adequate, the pressing need for fuel d.
Verung rolling stock from Other. classes
/ OF freight New wage scales have be-
come effective, largely enhancing the
purchasing power Of the people.
/ The new year opens with every pros
pect Of exceptional activity in all
/ branches of business Railway earnings
/ thus lar available for December show
! a Saln OF ~ per cent over 1891, and
l0-S over 1909. While for the full year
I there are increases of 81 and 16-5 per
cent, respectively. notwithstanding the
heavy loss OF coal traffic. The declines
in clearings for the last week are not
I actually as unsatisfactory as the per
centage would suggest. owing 10 the
( fact that last years figures include one
day Of January, and those. OF two years
ago embrace twO days in January,
when payments are abnOrmally heavy
Iron Plants Are Busy.
The question Of higher freight rates
complexities the situation regarding
iron and steel but new orders are con-
stantly coming forward. and the actiVi-
ty of plants would be equal to their
capacity were il not for the fuel short
ages.
No new features have developed in
the footwear situation. prices remain
lnS firm and order books full. Aside
from a slight reaction in union backs.
the leather market is strong. hemlock
sole receiving the additional support Of
exceptionally heavy exports in Eu-
rope. Domestic hides are dull. prices
again declining. Textile mills are
busy. with a hand to mouth demand for
cottons. but export buying for China
continues large.
Farm products weakened as visible
supplies increased, and reports from
the west indicate that much more
grain is offered for shipment than the
railroads viii accept Atlantic exports
Of wheat including -four, amounted 70
only 1493,061 bushels, against 2.795,244
d year ago and arrivals at interior
cities We're IS, 80. 265 bushels, compared
with S,73S,3e9 bushels last year.
Wool tends upward, shipments to
the mills continuing heavy and in
Quiries numerous
Bradstreet's Tells Similar Story.
Bradstreet's tomorrow viii say:
Holiday observance and stock taking
limit new business, but do not decrease
satisfaction and confidence. Whole
sale distribution has been down TO d
minimum. while retail buying, although
satisfactory, feels reaction from pre-
viOus activity
Additional returns as to 1902 trade
confirm earlier estimates of increases
in nearly all lines of distribution and
industry. Aside from this, develop
mentS are scarce Perhaps the most
notable features are the strength Of
prices of staples as the year Opens.
and the hopefUlness as 20 the outlook
for next spring and summer trade One
unfavorable factor is the continued
shortage of anthracite coal in the east.
Reports of increased trade in 1902 over
1901 continue to come from nearly all
northern. eastern. southwestern ana
Pacific coast points. Examples of this
are given in the case of Kansas City,
which, despite the corn crop shortage
of last year and the winter wheat crop
shortage of this year, shows a net gain
in all trade over 1901 The same report
comes from st. Louis chicago reports
jobbers having more orders on their
books than in previous years; that
eco 600 tons of pig iron was made or
handled in that district during the year,
and that Chicago hanks hold s per cent
more of deposits. while leans are 14-J
per cent more than at the beginning OF
1902.
Coast Outlook Is Bright
The outlook for 1903 on the Pacific
coast is almost unanimously faVora bic.
The largest business ever done was
ira nsac ted at Portland Ore, last year,
and san Francisco reports the cOndi-
tons of growing crops excellent Nearly
ali lines of trade shows gains for 1902
over 1903 at New York the majority
ranging from ; to 10 per cent
Wooden goods retain their good con-
ditiOns and raw and manufactured ma
teriaIS have closed the week at the
highest prices. with machinery well en-
ployeG. Eastern shoe manufacturers
have still something to do TO MI winter
orders and already some are being I'M
portuned for prompter delivery az
spring goods The leather trades are
quiet, with some selling at cut prices
Of old or undesirable grades reported
from Boston Aside from this. prices
are firmly held and there is even some
talk of further advances in sole leather
Wheat exports. including flour ex-
ports for the week ending Jan. l, ag-
gregate 3,S36. 2e6 bushels. against $3.50
466 bushels last week. ASSIST IN this
week a year ago and 3.9l4,301 in 1901.
Wheat exports since jury i aggregate
100. $50, 225 bushels. against I49, 1921
last season and s7.913.S1s in 1900.