Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-12
TRADE SUSTAINED
Strength is Shown in All Lines Of
Industry.
TRAFFIC ON RAILWAYS is BLOCKED
Large centers of Commerce Are Con.
gested With Immense Amount of
Through Freight = Outlook for
Spring Business Encouraging.
From SATURDAYS Daily

From Saturdays Daily.
New York, Feb. 7.-Dun's says to-
day: Vigorous vitality was conspicu
Gus in trade and industry, despite the
handicap of overstrained and lamen-
tably inadequate facilities for trans
portation, concentrated efforts to re-
duce the congestion at few favorable
points, apparently intensified the block
AIDES elsewhere, and the inclement
weather added new and disturbing
factor to the already complicated stu
ton. Labor disputes are more numer-
ous although not present to any ex-
tent in leading industries. AS the
season advances. there is notable ac-
tivity in the building trade, with the
customary acceleration of inquiry for
materials. Retail dealings in most
| staples are fully sustained, especially
of seasonable wearing apparel, but
| distribution at many points has suffer
| ed through the weather conditions.
| The wholesale and jobbing trade is
steadily improving, although deliver
les cannot be guaranteed.
Railway earnings during January
were Sc per cent larger than last
year. LII in excess of 1901.
| Purchasers in some divisions of the
iron market still show an inclination
| to postpone the placing of contracts in
expectation of better terms, but the
general level of quotations does not
recede. Little business has been
placed with New England shoe facto-
ries, although there is sufficient work
on hand to assure activity until late
in March.
Failures in the United States were
264 this week, against 261 last year;
Canada 80, against 25 last year.
Bradstreet's Review.
Bradstreet's will say: Unfavorable
weather conditions may retard but
they do not arrest trade and industrial
| development which continues in eXcep-
| tionally full volume for this season of
the year. Spring trade is earlier and
much larger in volume than any other
! previous year and the remarkable
steadiness of prices is evidence that
the stability in the present prices is
expected for some time to come. Cur
rent reports from the dry goods trade
are among the most cheerful ever re-
corded at this season of the year. Cot
ton goods note exceptional activity and
strength but other lines of spring trade
are busy.
Iron and steel is active for this sea,
son; lumber production and demand is
brisk and hardware is in heavy de
mand. Cold weather was responsible
for lower prices for butter and eggs
in January and some hog products also
declined; but cereals remained steady
and textiles nearly all advanced as
did several kinds of iron and steel,
copper, tin and naval stores offsettine
the lower movement in quotation OF
country produce, coal, coke, petroleum
hides, and some grades of leather.
Owing to the steadiness of large
majority of prices the net movement
i prices as whole only were slightly
Il downward, less than one per cent de-
cline being noted for January Chief
among the staples showing strength is
raw cotton, while buyers in iron and
1 steel evince tendency to stand off as
regards distant deliveries, and press
ing needs for immediate purposes in.
duce numerous small sales which
make up considerable aggregate OF
crude material. Finished products are
: as heretofore.
/ Wheat, including flour exports for
the week were 3965,915 bushels; as
against 4,S00,457 this week year ago
since July /, 152,565,53S bushels;
against ITO, l46,643 last season.
| Corn exports were 2,4O0,3l6 bushels
against 169,145 last year; for fisca
year 22,S01 ,016 bushels, against %,
031 100 last season.