Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-01
OF OMAHA'S TRADE
Voluns Of Business for January Much
Larger Than a Year Ago.
PRICES ON ALL LINES ARE QUOTED FIRM
Spring and summer Lines Of Dress
Goods Now Moving Freely aud
JObbe Note some of the
More Popular styles.

The business situation as a whole still
remains N~y satisfactory to Omaha lob
bers and manufacturers. A large number
OF early buyers arrived on the market last
week and placed liberal orders and advices
received from the country clearly show that
spring trade will begin i'm earnest his COM
ing week. In most lines the volume OF
business transacted i'm January shows a
good increase over last year. but I'm IA few
cases trade has not helu up, owing TO pc
culiar. circumstances. That is most notice.
able in the rubber trade, where dealers
nave been Withholding their orders in the
hopes OF better prices later on. IL all
the different lines are combined. however,
II Is safe to say that there is a big increase
over January OK 1892. The outlook for the
next several moths is also considered very
encouraging and jobbers expect to enjoy a
good lively spring demand through the
season.
Values are on a good firm foundation,
with prospects of their remaining that way
Tor some time to come. %Jobbers In almost
trouble I'm getting their orders filled
promptly, showing that manufacturer are
hndlng a ready market for all the goods
case with spring lines. but with next fall
goods as well, for buyers who have re-
Gently, returned from eastern markets re-
port that many large manufacturing plants
have sold up their entire output between
now and fall. As a result they consider the
outlook for continued firm prices very en-
coursging.
salmon at Low Figures.
The demand for groceries in a wholesale
way was of very liberal proportions last
week and a good gain for the month Of
January is reported over the same month
of last year. The market did not show any
great changes, but still there are a few
worthy of mention. The salmon market is
still attracting considerable attention. 1t
is reported that the Alaska Packers asso-
citation closed out its allotment of chum
salmon last week. 1t is also stated that
the buyers of these chums received only
80 per cent of them and 20 per cent of the
mink fish Tho QGgnpiQfinn ms nnnnIInnnn
however, that the prices recently made,
which well posted men say are below the
pack of 1903. These prices. though, may be
withdrawn at any time. 1t seems to be the
intention of the Alaska association to dis
courage the pack of this class of goods
which they claim nave never been IA credit
to the industry and injure the trade.
The market on dried fruits is without
special feature, but II is believed that the
prices now ruling are about at the bottom.
Any increase in the demand would tend to
raise the price OF several kinds of California
dried fruits.
Gables from Europe last week gave the
Information that Japan will have to import
some S,OoO,OO bags of rice this year, where
previously that country has been heavy
exporters of the better 81 AIDES of Japan rice.
The Pacific coast has been a large pur-
chaser Of that stock in former years, while
now the southern mills must supply this
trade with the greater part of their re-
quirements. India is also short some 100000
bags. These conditions, together with the
great damage to the domestic rice crop,
point to very much higher prices in the
near future. Those well posted on the
claim that the amount of avail
able stock In the south at the present time
is less than % per cent of the supply a year
ago. That being the. case, the market is
in a very strong position, with every indi-
cation of much higher prices ruling In tho
near future.
The sugar market is in Just about the
same position II was a week ago, both on
raws and refined. Cheese is also unchanged,
except that stocks are getting lighter every
week and prices therefore growing hrmer.
There is no change in the market on tea
and coffee.
Popular Spring Dress Goods.
The early buyers who are arriving on the
dry goods market are giving a good deal
of attention to the dress goods department:
said that wash fabrics for the spring
and summer seasons are shown In an end
less variety of cloths, colorinRs and ideas.
Printed fabrics still hold their own against
the invasion of woven fabrics and are beau
tifully designed and printed. They come In
ba tlste. dimities, lace stripes mercer
lied cloths. Plain colors In the above are
very good in woven wash fabrics. tissues,
madras cloth, oxfords and Examines are
will hold good throughout the season and
these latter ideas will be shown and sold
very largely for the fall season.
In wool dress goods there has been some
effort on the part of manufacturer TO
force fancies on the market, but they are
not taking very largely, although some
lQeak are EtillIlB III a sinai N"sE 80
in coloTs and mixtures, as well as blacks,
still hold their own and are large sellers;
course, violets, Examines, ooutonnes ana
are sold to the better classes, VINO
feel they can afford to buy drop skirts made
of silk to go under them.
The market on wool dress goods Is very
For fall a general advance over a
year ago is noted, amounting to from . 10
10 per cent seS with IA az faC GeS To be- SiG more oiS't trouble
in getting the goods than In getuns them
at satisfactory prices.
Silks are also still in good demand In am
cloths. Glace taffetas have taken a proml,
nent place in the silk world TINS season anu
are very good. Prices or silks are very
firm and manufacturers are only hHlhe
contracts taken at old prices. Any ne,E
contracts are made at an advance OF from
&c to &c per yard. .,o.,oD IL
concerned, local iobbers say they have no
complaints to offer. A large number OF
arrived on i the ma faT tb isSt coming ming
week. Several of the buyers Tor local
houses are either in the east or have JUST
They report that fall goods are going TO
he very scarce and will command strong
prices. In fact, many large man9Iacturers
have sold up their entire output TOT ran OF
lines as blankets, hosiery. underwear
and domets.
Hardware Market Unchanged .
There has been no special feature 10 the
trade during the week under re-
view. Trade has only been or fair proper
tions hut an Improvement is looked Tor In
the near future. A few spring lines are
beginning to move out. but IT. Is sun q
little early for that class or stock AdHices
received from the country though lndlct.te
that business will be Of good proportions
when II does set In.
There have heen practically no changes
NJ Importance I'm prices since last report;
marketLis firm all along the line and
so far as can be told, no very radical
changes will take place In the near future
Holding Their own.
Roth retailers and jobbers are still keep
ing their eve on the rubber goods. market
there has been no change In the sltua-
ton So FAR as can be learned, there has
hssn no price cutting. so that jobbers feel
CONFIDENT that there will be none. Mer-
chants. however, are holding back their
to quite an extent. and as a result
iobbers did not sell nearly as many rup
GeTs in January OF this year as they did
in the same month of 1902. The oIneIs'
are bound to come sooner OF later'
40 hat no one Is doing any complaining
I leather goods for spring are sellng. IIee-
lv and unless something happens 10 chanES
Inc situation the sales of local houses VIII
20 far ahead of last year
Fruits and Produce.
The demand for fruits and vegetables last
AZ ain took place in ruling prices. New south
ern beets and turnips arrived on the mar
ket last week and are selling at 5Oc, per
dozen lunches. Florida strawberries nave
also put in an appearance ana are helu ~
40 per Quart. The quality OF the berries Is
said 10 be good for this early In the season.
The egg market took quite a crop laSt
-~-NU - anaw. from the mnnlHNl0nEN