Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-01-15
Prompt Collections Demon.
strate the Stability of
Trade.
FUEL CONTINUES TO BE SCARCE
Shortage in Coal and Coke Causes
High Prices and curtsiIs Purchasing
Power Of the PeopIe--Affeets Cost
of Manufacture.


delivery. Orders for spring goods
came freely, and in some lines there
is more than sample business in fall
weights. Tardy deliveries in the past
lead purchasers to anticipate require
ments more than heretofore and or
ders are being placed far in advance OF
actual needs" The foregoing Is from
the weekly trade review of R. G. Dun
& Co. 1t continues:
Fuel Situation.
THE fuel situation is still the one
seriously disturbing element, render.
ing abnormally high the cost of manu-
featuring and restricting the purchas
Ing power of almost the entire popula
ton. Fortunately, this comes at q
time of exceptional prosperity, OF
there would be general contraction
OF consumption in other lines. There
is little interruption to work because
of labor disputes, but many operations
are interrupted by the delay in tran
sit of needed materials. Railway
freight rates were advanced, and one
result will be a loss of expectation
from Eastern cities, the traffic being
DETECTED to New Orleans.
Coke Is Scarce.
I'm the iron and steel industry the
most significant event of the week was
the discussion regarding the profit
sharing proposal by the leading pro
Queer. Inadequate supplies of coke
are still restricting operations. Con
tracts for the new year were made al
81 ton, but prompt deliveries often
commanded Sc or 81, and at Chicago
some sales were reported at $40. Pig
iron continues scarce, prices generally
advancing during the last week, and
the expected advance of 81 ton was
made in wire products.
Much new business has come for
ward, especially in bars and sheets
which had been comparatively quiet
while there is a vigorous demand fol
structural material to be used in
bridge work and car shops.
Doings in Footwear.
New England producers of footwear
are busy on spring orders and a few
deliveries have already been made, al
though shipments are light in these
lines as yet.
Exceptional activity in rubber goods
has reduced supplies to an unusually
low point. Exports of hemlock sole
continue heavy.
THE best event as to cottons has
been the continued buying for export
which has exceeded expectations very
largely. The print cloth market has
ruled firm. The demand for overcoat
ings for next fall has not come up tc
expectations.
Failures for the week numbered
$50 in the United States, against 37s
last year, and "a in Canada, compared
with 81 year ago." ..-
Grain Products. ..
Bradstreet's gives the following fig
ures on grain:
Wheat, including -four, exports fol
the week ending Jan. s aggregate s..
O9S,951 bushels, against 3,436,2 last
week, 3,567,710 in this week year
ago, and 5,961 ,095 in 1901. Wheat ex.
ports since July aggregate 35,763, JIG
bushels, against 153,313,937 last sea
son and 03,S74,914 in 1900. Corn ex'
ports aggregate 2,S56,9S6 bushels.
against 2,537,54 last week, 136,S73 a
year ago and 4,S97,345 in 1901. Fol-
the fiscal year exports are 1858, 406
bushels, against 20,957,3 1854 last season
and 102 7h0 q4h in 1907