Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-04

tination, will make the price the high
est known in recent years at this sea-
son. 1t is claimed that the new prices
will be rigidly maintained when they
are put in effect.
Dun's Review.
New York, Aug. 1.--R. G. Dun & Co.'s
weekly review of trade says:
Further evidence of the solid basis upon
which legitimate trade is established has
been furnished by the equanimity with
which commercial and financial institutions
regard the recent speculative collapse.
More harm has been done to the country's
manufactures and trade by the inflated
prices Of cotton than by the depression In
stocks. Reports are almost unanimous as
to the heavy distribution of merchandise,
and this is shown statistically by the in
crease in railway earnings thus far report
ed for July 12.5 per cent over last years
and 23.1 per cent above 1901
Iron and Steel Stronger.
Moderate improvement is noted in the
tone of the iron and steel industry. There
is less anxiety regarding the danger of
overproduction, although dozens of new
blast furnaces are in course of construc-
ton, and an active capacity of 20,000,000
tons annually is now assured
Coke is moving freely, but the Alabama
CNdl SlIlht stliI uiSluTDS luiliiCe HELL. All
other decline has taken copper to about
Is cents.
Cotton and Wool.
'Textile industries are still waiting for
readiustment or evidence of permanence
in the present condition of prices for raw
material. In cotton goods orders are
placed only upon condition of prompt de-
livery. Aside from a few of the highest
grades. new lines of lightweight WOOL
ems for next spring are fully open
ed. Prices are about the same as q year
ago.
Leather Market is Stronger.
Footwear factories are crowded with
work. orders coming in briskly for fall
goods. and western iobbers have placed
additional contracts for next spring
Hides again average much lower"
What Bradstreet Says.
Bradstreet's says:
Weather crop, and trade conditions are
seasonably favorable, though irregularity
and weakness in some staple prices rflect
establishments of consumption to enlarged
production. Iron and steel buyers are still
backward.
"a favorable feature this week is the re-
ported improvement in foreign demand for
our breadstuffs, considerable quantities of
new wheat and old corn being reported
taken.
Big Production of Steel.
1.-THE first six months of 1903 witnessed
record breaking production of pig iron,
and the same is true of the fiscal year
ending June 30. In addition, 956000 tons
of pig iron were imported, and the imports
of other iron and steel, partly manufac-
tured, make our imports of foreign iron
equivalent to over 1,676.000 tons.
THE situation in the cotton goods trade
is apparently no clearer. Reimports of
American cotton from Europe are report
ed heavy, and large numbers of spindles
are idle.
''Woolen manufacturers are doing a fair
business and buying steadily of raw ma
terial to cover orders already booked. The
result is notable steadiness at the highest
price reached for raw wool No special
activity is noted in leather and shoes In
the enst, though a number of buyers are
still in the Boston market. Hides are
irregular, but shoe shipments from east
ern points are 80 per cent larger than this
week a year ago, and for the season fully
1G per cent.
Exports of Wheat.
Wheat, including flour, exports for the
week aggregate 3.191,442 bushels. against
9, ISL 1888 last week, 4,3Ss,534 this week
last year.
Business failures for the United States
this week. number $50, against 1873 last
week and 16S in the like week of 1902.
For Canada they number II as against 20
last week and 16 a year ago."