Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-24
BUSINESS FEATURES.

tards collections. Making due allow
ance for the period, there is no cause
for complaint. The adverse factors
that have been operating against pros
perity in recent preceding weeks are
no longer potent, normal influences
gradually prevailing. Labor contro-
versies still exist. curtailing the outpu.
of a few products and the consumption
of all the necessares of life. Crops are
not going to market as freely as usual,
altho the agricultural outlook is dis
ltinctly favorable. In spite of several
obvious reasons for expecting check
to freight traffic, earnings of railways
thus far reported in August show an
average gain of sc per cent over last
eyar and 1S.2 per cent over 1901. Com
piaints are beginning TO be heard re-
Igarding the inadequate facilities OF the
railways, and it now appears that in
Inconvenience and loss mus. again be eX-
Iperienced Notwithstanding the extern
Isive improvements. Sensational stories
of the large number Of buyers now at
this center and the fabulous sums that
they spend can not be accepted as sta
tisitically accurate. but It Is probable
that an increase over all previous years
lis actually occurring. despite the de-
liberalization in cotton goods caused by
Speculation in the raw material San
guine sentiments are expressed in the
dispatch from Philadelphia, where the
textile plants are again busy, and espe-
cial strength Is reported in lumber ana
building materials. Merchandise is in
good demand at Boston, business in
some quarters is above the average for
August, and the footwear industry con-
Itinues fully occupied. Building opera
tons are large, and a healthy tone Is
evident in the wholesale trade at Bal
timore. while the fall outlook is unusu-
ally bright. Bank exchanges at New
York for the last week were 1913 per
cent smaller than in the corresponding
lweek year ago. but showed a gain of
Ills per cent over 1901 AT other lead
ling cities there were Increases of rs
and So per cent respectively.
Somewhat easier prices for the great
food staples testify TO brighter crop
prospects Wheat was forced upward
in most sensational manner, particu-
LARRY at the principal northwestern
-four center but favorable news from
spring wheat sections and normal
movement at the southwest disposed OF
dollar wheat" for the time. Visible
supplies are low. and liberal inquiries
for foreign account encourage hopes
that profitable returns may be secured
| by growers, but efforts to force prices
beyond the limits of reason Will curtai!
the demand, especially for export No
event of Importance affected corn,
which auctuated in sympathy with the
principal cereal. Western receipts of
wheat amounted to 4,S5-.s76 bushels
for the week. against 6,IS0,250 last
year. and exports from all ports OF the
United States were 26f5,509 bushels,
compared with 4,116,172 year ago.
Corn arrivals were 2,o6l,77i bushels,
against 9SS,613, and Atlantic coast ex-
ports S22OlS, compared with ALA.
AS July is usually the month OF
/ smallest exports. there Is nothing dis
appointing in last month's official re-
turn, which shows that the value OF all
merchandise sent abroad was only SOL
! 539, 400, decrease OF S3,6S3,446, COM
pared with June, while there was
gain of $2,74S,T73 over the same month
| last year. AS there was a small loss
| in farm products. it follows that ship
ments OF manufactured articles were
considerably heavier than a year pre-
vious. Domestic producing capacity
has been enlarged even more than
home consumption, and consequently
foreign markets Will receive more at
| tention. Imports were slightly larger
than in the preceding month and ST.
032,513 more than in July, 1902, making
a total gain in foreign commerce of
$4,7S1,2S6 over the same month last
year. The net balance on merchandise
account was only $9,359, 013, while ex-
ports of specie surpassed imports near
lIy s5,000,000, making an increase in
credits abroad of ,76S, aside from
the unknown factors of freight, lnsur-
ance, tourists expenses, etc.
Liabilities of commercial failures
thus far reported for August aggre-
gated s6,965,1S5, of which $5,15l,151
were in manufacturing. $1,733,747 in
trading and $S02S7 in other CONNER
cial lines. Failures the past week
numbered 23S in the United States
against 207 last year. ana eight in Cam
ada, compared with thirty year ago
IOWA OPINIONS AND NOTES.
Some of the papers insist on calling
them old veterans. We will probably