Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-17
CONDITION OFOMAHA'ST TRADE
General Volume Of Business Last Week
Much Better Than Week Before.
GENERAL TENDENCY OF PRICES UPWARD
Wholesalers Report No DimcuIty I'm
Making Shipments and Say They
Filled Their orders the same
Day n Received.

Business conditions In Omaha were much
better last week than the week before
SVpDe1s ano manutacturers experienced no
olncuIty IN giving their customers prompt
service. and state that their orders were
5TnIpped .the same day they were received.
make the report that 1obbers from other
cities have been pounding the trade in this
Omaha jobbers could not mi their orders
owing to the strike existing in this city.
~ q OF Course impossible to tell how much
but the general impression Is that from
TINS time on the amount will be very small.
es Jopoers nave advised their customers
that tney are shipping and receiving goods
Tather QUIET owing In a large measure to
the stormy weather which made retail
: merchants from coming TO the city. The
latter part OF the week, however, there was
q great Improvement and wholesalers and
being Just about normal for this season OF
the year. With continued warm weather
sorting up business, as PmerehSnts' STOCKS eRs
Will no doubt go TO pieces at a rapid rate.
Prices have h~uctuated back and forth to
some extent during the week under review
and particularly Is that true Of groceries.
pISsiqs " f ErSce aSsnf there Of h imeof 5ssn eom-
Collections are reported as being in very
satisfactory condition. Merchants seem to
be selling enough goods to be in a position
to meet their payments promptly.
Sugar Five Cents.
Wholesale srocers report trade as being
very satisfactory. The first part of the
week orders did not come in as freely as
they were doing a lively BUSINESS. All the
5obbers in the city stated ~emphatically that
orders were being filed the same day as
received and that they are in a position to
give their customers first class service.
e sH%s Of the nc t hosses e,i na0S Seen ts gefainF {b Sns
not to hold back their orders but to send
them in and they would be filled with the
Several Important changes in prices have
gone into effect the last few days. Among
cents per 100 pounds in the price OF sugar.
which took effect on Thursday. Raws are
E Glps t,o1s in ar a VERY s stT1 T position Omen s1d viii I'm
The cheese market is in much the same
Cheese is being offered and everything is
being taken freely at full prices. The de-
mand apparently Is still in excess of the
Beans are quoted at 1Oa12hc per bushel
advance applies not only TO the fancy
stock, but also the lower grades. The de-
mand has been on the increase for the last
Considerable more inquiry was noticed
last week for spot corn ana jobbers say
in the west are hardly sufficient for the re-
ouirements of the trade until the new pack
ehaNss in r ruling p paices n SMd the Situation Sasa on
with other lines also remains practically
the same as 1t was a week ago.
all kinds showed considerable strength last
week. Quotations on. prunes advanced nc
and peaches and apricots were marked uT
Ad1kc from the low price. Stocks Of peaches
are said to be concentrated in a few hands
that are able to hold them, The outlook fol
the apricot crop is not at all hattering, &C,
that new goods wilI arrive on the market
about 20 per pound higher than those II
force at the present time on choice goods.
The rice market is still advancing, broker
rice having been marked up Nc last weel
end strictly high-grade rice is said to be al
The rumors that have been anoat fol
some time past OF very much higher prices
for fCSn Japan bav tea bs have sdI SeeS &c an nS1sn Coca a
&c per pound over last years quotations ane
the general talk is that prices will be stil
that there is no tea left in this country
Every one from the importer to the re
the demand this year viii be much heaviei
than usual. The crop Of tea is reported al
larger 10 make up for the increased de
mand. Reports indicate that buying Is yer!
brisk at the advance and. most of the or
ders are larger than those placed a yea
ago by the same buyers.
The rolled oats market is in a very stronl
place on both hve-pound packages and oil
barrels, with a corresponding advance ol
smaller packages. Indications point to still
The market on syrups eased off 16c pc
dozen last week on ten-pound cans an
there was a corresponding decline on tn
other sizes. Buyers are said to be takinl
hold very freely at the decline, thinking
that the bottom has been reached.
Better Demand for Dry Goods.
The demand for dry goods last weel
showed considerable Improvement over tn
week before. That was particularly tru
the latter half OF the week. Jobbers 50!
they were able to fill their orders prompt!
the same as though there were no strike Il
existence and do not anticipate any trouble
in giving their customers prompt servic'
from this time on.
Travelling men are now out with sample
of spring and summer lines, looking 70
Immediate orders. 1t is thought that will
warm weather merchants stocks will go &
pieces at a rapid rate and that there will b.
q large spot business. Travelling statesmen
will. OF course, be on the lookout for fal
orders also So far they have broken al