The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-05
BRIGHT OUTLOOK.
Better Things in Trade Circles
Are Hoped For
with the Opening of the New
Year, Says Dun.
COLD WEATHER HELPS
1t Has Stimulated Trade in
SeasOnable Goods.
Commercial Circles Agitated by
High Price Of Cotton.
COLD WEATHER HELPS

New York, Dec. Or. G. Dun &
Co.'S Weekly Review of Trade says:
Trade is seasonably quiet except in
the lines affected by weather and those
embracing holiday goods which are IN
good demand. Activity is especially
conspicuous among footwear jobbers
and retailers. Commodities are gener-
ally lower in price, although few i'm
portant articles such as cotton, eggs
and dairy products have risen so sharp
" that Dun's index number on Deem
Der l was sos, 223 against $97, 1925 a month
previous. For the year there is a de-
cline of about 2 per cent. Manufactur-
ing conditions are still Irregular the
best symptom of the week being the
steadiness of iron and steel Textile
mills still find it difficult to secure
prices in proper ratio to the raw mater
ial, the violent advance in cotton ad-
ding to the embarrassment of SpinnerS
who have only limited supplies on hand.
Railway earnings in three weeks of No
vember were ass per cent larger than a
year previous.
Several encouraging reports are re-
ceived regarding the iron and steel
situation. in most cases proposed re-
auctions in wages have met with no OPP
position and such busiEesS as comes
forward is handled without interrupt
ton. Another good sign is that the
past week has brought no further re-
auctions il prices. Steel mills have
received several fair contracts for
structural shapes and railway supplies.
These are all evidences of an end to
the deadlock between buyers and sell
erS, while in the trade there is grow
ing confidence that the new year will
bring a further revival. On the other
hand, the market is decidedly quiet.
The chief event in the export trade was
a large sale of tin plates for shipment
to Canada.
Cotton mills have suffered further
from the vagaries of the raw material
and the latest advance must have
obhterated any profits secured by the
reduction Of wages. Failures this week
3S1 against 25S last week, 24s the pre-
ceding week. and 204 the corresponding
week last YEAR"
Bradstreet's says:
Better feeling, approaching optim-
ism in some lines, is due to improve
ment in rail trade, stimulated by cold
weather, the advent of the holiday
season and the more normal tone of
public sentiment. Jobbing trade in
seasonable goods has also expanded, as
a result of recorders to fill depleted
stocks. Back of these, apparently close
connection in its effect upon sentiment,
IS the strong position Of the agricul-
tural staples.
"Cold weather has also stimulated
the coal trade east and west.
More confidence is also shown in
the market Tor the cruder forms of
iron, and prices are steadier.
Some industries, notably flour mill
ing in the northwest and shoe manu-
featuring in New Egland, are in appa--
emily good shape, with record breaking
shipments noted for the season, but
the possibility of curtailment is being
of concern to the trade, where, indeed,
the possibility of curtailment is ching
mooted. In the iron and steel trade
shut downs more than offset resump-
tons. The low water in the east limits
mill operations at many points. Read
JustmentS of wages to meet new condi-
tions are particularly prominent in cot
ton manufacturing and in iron and
steel. but are being accepted with much
less friction than earlier anticipated
Winter weather is causing a slowing
down in many Enes of building, and
lumber, other building material and
hardware are rather less active for this
reason. Lake navigation is practically
ended, with a larger movement of
grain and coal, but a much smaller ore
trade than in 1902 Railway operations
are still active, with an increase of
about per cent shown in gross re-
ceipts over November a year ago.
Evidence accumulates that southern
iron has, for the time at least, struck
bottom and this week a slight rebound
In asking prices is noted. Other mar
kets are more cheerful in tone, and
buying at Chicago has been the best
In several months. Finished products
note little change. Among other metals,
copper is dull and weak but in better
export demand, while tin is stronger.
Crude petroleum is again advancing at
the west, but refined is unchanged at
the east"