Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-11-14
General business This Week
Larger DESPITE Quietness
and Even Depression
nav STRUGGLES IN PROGRESS
Recent Settlements of Labor Disputes
Offset by Troubles in Building Trades
Street Car Lines and Coal Mines -
Great Accommodations of Stocks
Threaten Sacrifice of Values

New york Nov a. Bradstreet's to-
] DAY viii say:
0uietness and even depression gov
! ern general trade and industry, but
prevailing pessimism can not hide the
sact that some really encouraging signs
are visible. Taken as a whole, general
business this week is rather larger, due
to the expansion in retail trade at the
northwest. where 1t is favored by cool
Ter. settled weather. and at the south,
where an enormous quantity of cotton
is being marketed at excellent prices.
Wholesale trade is still quiet as a
! whole, awaiting developments in price
and demand Export trade seems to be
at last expanding. Exports of leading
products aggregate the second largest
total ever recorded In october.
A fac; that has not been given full
weight Is that there are now here such
great accommodations of stocks as
threaten sacrifice of values. Indeed,
buying has been conservative for SONS
time past. Hence 1t Is that despite
the weakness manifested in iron and
steel. stocks of pig iron are little more
| than ten days productions. and the au-
thorities are asserting that present
quotations represent rock bottom val
ues. Another example of this Is noted
in the leather trade. stocks of which at
leading centers are said to be well re-
stricted. Pig iron. tho no more active,
is in better tone. A reduction of
freight rates on steel from Pittsburg
Cor export has been granted by the
railroads. Other metals show down
ward tendencies.
Chief among the depressing features
brought to light this week are the re-
rorts that finished steel products have
been cut. that wages of iron and steel
and cotton mill employees must come
down. and that some new strikes. nota-
bly, general shutdown of the Colo
rado coal mines. are menacing far
western manufacturing and railway
activity On the other hand, the facts
might Just as we'll be faced that high
prices have checked the demand, that
manufacturers of iron and steel be-
iieve that the demand can be revived u
lrice concessions are made and that
wage reductions are calculated to rem
der this policy more effectual, notwitn-
standing that decrease in earnings
and consumptive power results tenn
porarily.
Business failures in the United Sta
ties for the week ending with November
10 We're $50. against ZIG last week. 209
in the like week of 1902. 213 in 1901.
227 in 1900 and 1919 in 1899.
Dun's Review.
r. G.. Dun & Co.'S Weekly Review of
Trade today says:
Readiustnent of wages and abnor-
mally warm weather are not calculated
to stimulate the distribution of mer-
chandise, especially Of wearing clothes
and fuel. Several other staple lines
are quiet, as is usual at this season.
ye. the splendid profits Of agricultural
communities cannot fail to put large
sums of money in circulation and pro-
vide a market for commodities. Prices
OF all staples were slightly higher on
November than month previous. but
in the past two weeks the level has fall
len somewhat Settlements of labor
disputes in meat packing and several
minor industries are Offset by new
struggles in the building trades. street
car lines and coal mines, while the cut
in wages of iron workers and spinners
may result In strikes.
Railway earnings for the first week
Of November were AS per cent larger
than last year. In the iron and steel
industry. while furnace stocks are far
in excess of all recent high points there
as some offset in the very small sup
plies held elsewhere. and now that
quotations have fallen TO a more at
traetive position there is reason to look
for some recovery in demand. After
the frs; shock of new prices was over
the market became more active. In
footwear the only feature is the ur-