Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-17

IN n recent talk with Manager Rust
Of the h, g. pun & co. mercantile
agency In this city as to commercial
conditions obtaining during the year
MI Rust said AS this is not the end
Of the year. It is impossible Co give
definite figures or estimates. which are
only made up after the business returns
for the last month OF the year are in.
But q; is not too carp to give a very
fair and substantial review Of me local
business situation for the current 70
months -he wholesale and jobbing
business Of the year has been on the
whole folrly satisfactory. although
there has been little snap or yigor TO
the same. Business has been To-
large extent in the nature of necessary
needs retail merchants cyllencins %
disposition, IN most instances to buy
only about what was actually demand.
ed and transactions were largely the
small order variety However. the vol.
uma OF trade, as Gar 49, can he deter
mined at ibis writing, before houses
have finally figured up f0r the yeli
compares fairly well with the business
VI previous years
Some lines more particularly gro
Ccrles Will show am Increase with The
various houses, though IN the case Of
the line Just mentioned. this Us owing
largely 10 the elimination Of one large
house whose trade was divided among !
the others remaining, and conditions I'm |
this particular line have been more |
encouraging for several reasons, A few |
lines OF trade viii show a slight talling |
of in volume
Agricultural conditions throughout
the section have been encouraging,
with plenty ~ water Tor Irrigation pur-
poses. and better crops. particularly |
wheat, than for a long time previously
The sugar beet output also was much
better than IN previous years, due 10
the Increased acreage In Utah AMI
southern Idaho, and the operation OF
more factories. Conditions In livestock,
that Is sheep and cattle, have moi been
20 advantageous az might have been,
for The reason that last winte was
hard on sheep, and late storms in
creased the losses. However, quite
prices were realized for |
wool The cattle market was In bad
shape, FOR the better part Of the year.
and this unfayorable situation was
emphasized by the series OF strikes az
he Dacklnghouse centers. and affected
also sheep values, as growers and feed
'rs could not market for considerable
period
Retail trade has hardly been encour-
lglng, particularly in the city, and In a
lumber OF lines. dealers have complain
d Of dullness, and the late winter and
0ntlnued mild ana open weather have |
ad an unfay0rable influence on the s
lothing shoe and rubber trades !
Collections have been generally I
ather backward and draggy through a
ut the year, due TO various influences, G
hief among which has been the con- j
lll0n or the cattle market IN sections q
ependent upon livestock In this city n
elections and retail trade have both I
cen 20 some extent affected by the a
ontlnued absence Of a speculative | q
larket and low prices Of mining | a
locks' which, up 10 the past few sea- s
ons nave proved such a source OF rev.
nue. to this community !,
Money however, has generally been T
lenty and banks for the greater part n
the year have been well supplied; "
nd while they have at the same time nj
enerally maintained conservative | s
iand and carefully scrutillzed loans {
nd collateral no difficulty has been a
experienced IN securing any needed ac. N
lmmodatlon Tor Legitimate purposes v
here the collateral was satisfactory
ne rates OF interest have been. on me
hole, comparatively easy. I
In the matter Of failures, there have
zen "a business failures in Utah up TO
le tth INST" as against 80 for the wear
'eYious, In southern Idaho there have j,
ZEN "a failures against 50 for last |
arr