Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-04
CONDITION OF OMAHA'S TRADE
Business Rather Quiet Last Week in NearlI
All Departments
JoBsERs PREPARING FOR EARLY BUYERS
Announcement of Unrestricted Prices
on Rubber Goods Caused Much
Surprise and Un~ensinesS
Among Local JObbers.

Eeu, dcvelonnents were noted last week
In the trade situation or Ohiana All an their
men I'm on the road and, al hah1s Mugb
busy taking stock. Retailers oui 'Ilousn
ins and conseduentiy bought practically
nothing that they did not actuaIS -
for Immediate use. Eastern manhe ssles
quiet, as no one was trying TO MAKE se ~
and there were no buyers. That belhg 'ne
case, prices are, with few exceptIIns ~
the same position they were a week aeo,
This coming week is expected 70 De q
busy one in all departments. ITaNennS
men will once more be makine .heu tbst
spring business will open In a very saus-
factory manner ustoas
from the country to the erect that retaiiets
are coming on the market carrier Ihth
ever before and that their ORDERS VIII hesn
OF liberal proportions. Jobbers nave 1een
anticipating this for some time past ana as
a result their stocks of spring Ilnes are
now ready for inspection. New Booos ar
arriving every day, but the lines that VIII
be bought early are already on eNniDltion.
Not only dry gods 1oopers, p Tv foTward
to a most prosperous season. merchants
have had an exceptionally, goou tIaoe 20
remainder of the season to be equally good;
That naturally puts them, In a nopeIuI
frame Of mind and gives them G0nn u1eSe
pected happens to change the general STU
alton, every one feels confident that the
amount Of goods consumed in the terri
tory tributary to Omaha.
Rubber Prices Unrestricted.
The new schedule of prices on rubber
goods was received in Omaha january l
the lists had not been radically changed,
while the discounts remained. the same.
lower the prices on farmers goods, such
as boots, arctics and the heayier class OF
goods. The lightweight goods howeNe5'
as a general thing were slightly advanced.
The changes in either direction, though,
were of minor importance.
The part that startled local Jobbers was
| the announcement of unrestricted prices.
For several years jobbers have had their
selling prices dictated to them, when gave
n uniformity to the market. This year,
however, wholesalers pay a certain price
for their goods and they can sell them for
very gloomy view of the situation and say
that II simply means n cut-throat deal
from start to finish and every rubber GOODS
jobber in the country Will lose money.
Retailers will, of course, buy their goods
from the house that makes the best prices
| and as jobbers will want to hold their old
customers IL looks as though there would
be no bottom to the market.
A meeting Of the Western Jobbers assoc
members do not look for much RELIEF from
that, but, on the contrary, predict a long
rubber trust and the independent manufac-
turers.
Reimbursement of Freight Rates.
The change in freight ratCA which went
into effect January /, amounting 10 an al
| vance of 12c per 100 pounds, caused an ad-
vance on practically all classes of hard
ware. In addition to this manufacturers of
| nails, barbwtre. plain wire and fence staples
| advanced their prices 10c. Local jobbers
| have added 10c per 100 pounds onto the
price of their goods to cover the 12c ad-
vance in freight rates, which makes the
total advance in wire nails and fence
staples 2Oc. Other lines of hardware re-
main in exactly the same position they
were a week ago. with the exception of the
advance in freight rates, and 1obbers see
no reason for looking for any important
changes in the immediate future.
There is nothing new TO report In the
grocery line. as the market is practically
unchanged from a week ago. Business was
fairly good for holiday week, but as COM
pared with the preceding weeks 1T was
small. The same was true in leather goods
and in fact of all lines handled in Omaha.
Fruits and Odu
Since the Christmas trade was supplied
there has been very little doing In the line
of fruits, and prices have shown prac-
tically no change. The same can also be
said OF vegetables. There was quite a New
Years demand for poultry and commits
sion men were able to clean up the stocks
of turkeys that were carried over from
Christmas as we'll as the shipments that ar
rived after that time. Prices held up to
the Christmas quotations and hens and
Chickens are a little higher. The last of
the week. though, turkeys eased off a lit
tie, as the demand was exceedingly light
after New Years day.
The market on butter and eggs is just
about the same as II was at last report.