Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-05-12
Prices in Commodities Declined Slight.
Iy During ApriI-Railway Earnings
Continue to Show Big Increase and
General Business is Satisfactory.


New York, May 9.-R. G. Dun &
Co.'s Weekly Review OF Trade today
says:
Unrest in the ranks of labor has
increased rather than abated since
May l, when difficulties of this sort
usually eliminate. No single struggle
OF great magnitude is in progress, but
the frequency of small strikes is dis
! force is idle, while important industrial
undertakings are checked.
| Good reports are received from the
| footwear factories, shipments from
/ Boston for the year thus far surpass-
/ ing all records. and clothing makers
receive Implications of spring orders
in addition to getting out fall samples.
| Prices OF commodities declined
slightly during April, Dun's index num-
/ Der falling from s99.267 to S9S.561. A
year ago the highest point of recent
years was touched at s102.2S9. Rail
way earnings in April were 1874 pei
cent larger than in last year and 2S.7
| per cent above 1901.
/ Cancellation of orders where deliv-
| cries failed to be made according to
contract and new business at lower
quotations indicate tendency toward
more normal conditions in pig iron,
This is highly desirable and gives asr
surance that present activity in iron
and steel may be maintained.
Structural material Active.
y Pending contracts for about $4,000
4 tons Of structural material have been
1 closed. and other orders are only post,
4 poned by uncertainty regarding the
labor. situation. Railway requirements
! appear to have no limit. and the pro-
posed extensions will consume large
1 quantities of steel Billets are one
| of the scarce articles at present. even
imports being arranged with difficulty
Implement manufacturers are sur
passing all records in their purchases
of merchant steel machine shops are
working at full capacity, and there is a
brisk demand for plates. pipes and
tubes. All leading machinery markets
\ report satisfactory conditions. Trade
in hardware is of good volume, orders
4 assuring activity for some time and
new business still coming forward
freely. especially at the south.
J. AS Viewed by Bradstreet's.
j Bradstreet's today says:
II Bushes continues large and indus
! try active, in most cases surprising
previous years at this date. despite
unseasonably cold weather in some
: sections and swarm of vexatious la
Dor troubles.
/. Most of the measures of trade and
industrial volume still make favorable
showings. The simply enormous gain
in gross ralway earnings reported TO
April, 10 per cent over the best in pre-
vious years, is proof that past good re-
ports of trade and traffic were fully
justified
THE usual lull in wholesale trade
: allows of some retrospects and refiec--
tons as to the future. Iron production
is at the maximum but pig iron is dull
: and dropping. In sharp contrast with
: the cruder forms is the strength and
) activity in steel and the continued &C.
tive sale for finished products.
"Woolen goods are not being taken
| hold of freely and some shortening OF
running time is possible at New Eng.
land mills. Wool moves fairly, though
, mostly at concessions, and the disturb.
ed condition of raw cotton, prices hav-
ing reached the highest point in over
two years, holds back trade for fall,
though more disposition to do business
has been manifested by buyers this
t week.
Strikes and lockouts interfere with
trade in lumber and other building ma
terial, particularly at New York On
the other hand, the shoe industry
seems exceptionally active. Leather
is firmly helu. Western dry goods
; grocery hardware, clothing and MILL
merry jobbers note good recorders, and
the volume of fall orders booked ex
ceeds a year ago.
Weather Hurts Southern Trade.
Southern trade is affected by un
seasonably weather holding back bust
ness and complicating the crop situa
ton in cotton. fruits and vegetables
The damage done by cold weather
however, can be repaired by prompt
replanting and favorable weather, al
, though the cotton crop will be late
one.
Wheat, including -four. exports fol-
the week ending May Z aggregate
3,201 $50 bushels. against 3.41S,2S9 last
week, 3.302.240 this week last year
and 4,17S.ST2 in 1901. Wheat exports
since July ] aggregate 1911 sos. 4 s
bushels. against 219 ,166.72S last sea
son and 1S0.939,973 in 1900. Corn ex
ports aggregate 1,631,709 bushels
against 2.210.155 last week and !, $50,
S31 in 1901. For the fiscal year ex