The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-15
TRADE IMPROVES.
Business Better Than Usual at
This Time of Year.
1t Is Exceeding Expectations at
Many Points.
RAILWAY EARNINGS.
Continue to Show Gains Over
Same Period Last Year.
Marked Increase in Both Ex-
ports and Imports.

view OEkt july 4O--ASs " ANAA .
Weekly Review of Trade says:
Seasonable merchandise goes into
consumption more freely than usual,
retail trade exceeding expectations at
many points, and preparations for fall
and winter business is on liberal
scale, except in a few agricultural
communities where there is a DISPOSE
ton to await definite assurances re-
garding the crops The official re-
port was more encouraging as to grain
and later dispatches to this paper
from the principal farming centers in
dictate that good results are being at
tanned despite some excess of mois-
ture. Manufacturing reports are
Irregular, the cotton industry being
unsettled by the rise in raw material;
WOODEN mills have a similar, but less
sensational obstacle; footwear shops
are shipping less freely, but are main
tanning the higher level of prices, and
current dullness in pig iron does not
weaken confidence in an early re-
sumption of liberal purchases. Dun
index number on July 1 was $98-312,
against $9S,759 a month earlier and
$97, 1872 year ago Prices OF com
nOdities had not felt the full effect
of the rise in cotton at that date,
while the unusual midsummer abund-
ance cheapened dairy and garden
products. hallway earnings for the
first week of July exceeded last year,
by 53 per cent, and foreign COM
merce at this port for the last week
showed gains of $1,520,462 in i'm
ports and $5S0,449 in exports, as COM
pared with the corresponding week of
1904. Mercantile collections have i'm
proved. In striking contrast in dull
ness and weakness of the raw mate
rial structural steel is SO urgently
sought that premiums are sometimes
paid for quick delivery, and producers
are considering the advisabiity of a
general advance in list prices.
Many large building contracts have
appeared during the past week, and
the tonnage of new bridge work is a
feature
Recent large transactions in hides
strengthened the tone and further adj
Vances are recorded in light weights.
Failures this week were % in the
United States, against 225 last year,
and 26 in Canada, compared with 20
a year ago.
BradstIeet's says:
Midsummer influences still govern
general trade and industry, but better
weather and crop reports make for
quite optimistic trade reports in the
surplus Ger cal producing sections of the
west. Very favorable reports as to fall
trade orders come from nearly all
points west of the Alleghenies north of
the Pacific. Large, though except in a
few cases not record breaking crop
yields, now appear reasonably assured
in the entire region, and there is a gen.
eral agreement that fall business al
ready booked exceeds a year ago at this
date. Less assurance is found in the
reports from the western half of the
south where it is feared serious damage
has been done by incessant gain, to cot
ton, wheat and other crops, this partial
" offSetinR the favorable influences
of the heavy advance in cotton prices.
There is no evidence of cross currents
in iron and STEEL the latter being &C
tive and strong, while crude iron,
though displaying more activity, is still
weak and lower in most markets.
Commodity prices display great
strength for midsummer period and
are only fractionally lower on the
month.
"A point deserving note is the wide
spread activity in demand for cotton
goods of nearly all kinds, which &C
cepts steady advances in prices and
clamors for more goods. Other textiles
are also strong, wool being steadily alb
sorbed at the highest prices for years
while wooden machinery finds satiSfac-
goods. Other materials for manufac-
ture, such as hides and leather, are ac-
tive, and while the advance of the veal
favors rather quieter conditions IL
hardware reflect the continuance O
unprecedented activity in construction
work.
Business failures in the United
States for the week ending July Is
number 1855 against 127 last week 20
q in 1902 and 20S in 1901. In Canada fail
ures for the week number 20 as agains
90 last week and Is in this week a yea
ago"