Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-02-05
DOMESTIC TRADE
IS PROSPEROUS
Advance Business in Spring
Delivery Is Reported to
Be Heavy.
FUEL CAUSES LITTLE DELAY
Manufacturing Plants Are Busy and
Prices for Finished Products Rule
Firm--lron and Steel Industry sut
fers to Benefit Of Other Lines.

New York, Feb 2.-"Domestic
trade and industry continue to pros
per, while the fuel situation has grown
less disturbing through the special eff
forts of transporters, aided to no small
degree by mild weather. Distribution
of other products has been restricted
by the discrimination in favor of coal
and shippers are importunate. Clear
ance sales are about ended, leaving
only small stocks Of winter goods. Ad
vance business in spring deliveries
is very heavy, and fall contracts are
also placed literally" The foregoing
10 from the weekly trade review Of
Il. G. Dun & Co.'S. II continues:
First Cost Is Higher.
I'm most cases where there Is no de.
lay on fuel account manufacturing
plants are busy, though cost OF mate.
rails and labor is very high. Firm
prices for finished products are conse-
quently to be expected. Favorable
returns Of railway earnings are con.
stantly issued, figures thus far avail
able showing an increase of 81 per
cent over last year and 17.9 per cent
over 1901.
miles of loaded cars and thousands
OF tons of coke piled in the yards at
Connellsville tell the story of condi.
tons in the iron and steel industry
Furnaces are closing because of the
fuel shortage. BY giving coal, live
otpnL md narioh a hIa pond, nrao al anna
over all other freight the railroads
helped consumers everywhere. but at
the expense of the leading manufac.
turing industry.
Many Plants Close.
"Many plants are closed or run.
ming only part time, and few orders
for distant delivery are either sought
or offered owing to the uncertainty
as to when normal conditions will pre-.
vail. .
1T Is stated that deliveries of pig
iron to the leading consumer are sew
eral months behind, and spot Besse-
mer has risen sharply, yet there is
much irregularity, as evidenced by
the decline in cast pipe. Locomotives
are being turned out of the shops
with record-breaking rapidity, and
other railway structural equipment is
in equally good demand, while struc-
tural material is still feature. Many
additional contracts for bridge build
ing are recorded.
Buyers Crowd Market.
Footwear is firm, with an advanc.
ing tendency, although list prices are
without change. New business is
light, but most factories have abund.
ant orders on hand, and there are
many buyers in the market.
Both sole and upper leather are
more active, shoe factories taking
freely, especially of hemlock sole.
Large quantities of Chicago packer
hides sold at unchanged prices. and
foreign dry hides are strong. A bet.
ter inquiry is noted for cotton goods.
A number of lines have advanced in
price, the upward movement OF raw
wear woolens and worsteds for fall
are now fully opened. There Is no
evidence Of speculative activity, which
emphasizes the wholesome condition
of the market, and many lines have
been withdrawn.
Failures for the week numbered
243 in the United States, against 301
last year, and thirty In Canada, com.
pared with forty q year ago."