Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-12-31
CONDITION OF OMAHASIRADE
JObbeu Are Clsssing House for the
New Year.
BUSINESS HAS BEEN LARGEST IN HISTORY
General Estimate Places Years In
crease In Omahs's JobbinR Trade
Mt Twenty-Five Per Cent
Present Market quiet.


Jobbers unanimously agree that the vol
umC OF business for the year which has
}G4st closed has been the largest In the
20 make a definite statement of the per-
centage Of increase in their own business.
but IL is generally estimated by them that
the general increase is at least q per cent.
+. {. Byrne of Byrne Hammer. dry
goods merchants, said: II has been a
II shows for the Omaha dry goods market
great increase over any former year.
PaSton i & Gaiiasher' The sensrsi vol
ume of business In the grocery trade Tor
the year has been satisfactory and shows
Il good increase over last year. With the
new railroads and the way they are build.
ing UP the country in the western part OF
tns % not naer be Is larger IN "'
c. S. Hayward of Hayward Bros. Shoe
company: Il think no wholesaler has any
cause TO Grumble on account OF the years
D. p Bergman Of Lee-Glass ANDERSEN.
of enormous business: We have been
pushed to handle the business"
Business men generally express their ex-
pectation of a larger trade during the
coming year Good crops were raised last
season and the country Is generally pros
porous. Also railroads and irrigation
bitches are bringing a larger population
to sections tributary 10 Omaha In ousi-
For the last week business has been
slack, suffering from the usual holiday
listlessness. Eastern and foreign markets
are quiet. enjoying little trade and showing
almost no change in prices 1t will be but
a matter of a week or two, however, until
the usual activity is resumed.
Rounding Up Years Business.
Dry goods men were busy during the
week housekeeping and preparing for
spring, at the same time finishing UP the
business of the year. Extensive prepara-
lions have been made for spring and stocks
/ inRpeCttOn.
| Omaha iobbers say they are we'll supplied
with cotton goods at all prices, Few ad-
many are threatened. Collections for the
! last few days have been good on account
of the activity in tho retail trade In the
The hardware people are catching new
! breath after the Christmas trade and are
| getting time to round up their affairs for
| the year. Business has been large, though
| smaller than for several months. The sur
prise of the trade Is that the demand an o dor
| sistently. Orders have been received In the
last few days in size and number such as
| have never been known at this time or
| year. The condition indicates that building
is going forward throughout the country
| just as II has all fall. As is the case IN
| other lines of business, prices are at a holi-
! day standstill.
As long as warm weather continues the
shoe houses will not have large trade to
report Business is small with them at
| present. Prices continue to stifen. II Is
evident that manufacturers are resiizinS
raise their prices in order to do business.
with leather on the present basis. local
goods which it proposed to buy, and the
figures were startling, although an advance
was expected. The strength will not effect
present wholesale stocks, but means higher
prices next fall and winter.
Quiet in Grocery Line.
All year has been busy season with the
grocery houses, with the exception OF a Few
weeks last winter. The activity cqntinuea
has been slack, as 1t has in all other lines,
and the jobbers Rave been shaping things
Sugar remains in practically the same
position There has been no change IN
either raw or refined though the market
higher. The weather is bad In CUBA ana
will not permit of grinding, consequently
until the last of January or the first of
February Yet some large orders have been
p' Cheese is quiet at present, and the vol
ulne of trade is small. Jobbers still expect
higher prices to prevail within snort
Prices are unchanged in coffee. Futures
| have n higher tendency on account OF the
fear that congress VII place hlsner GUY NY
on Brazilian coffee, and the report maj Ine
Brazilian government Will appreciate
money to restrict the outflow OF the crop
from that country. Whether there Is any
truth in this latter report is not known Tor
| a certainty, but 1t Is generally acknow-
lodged that there IS strong pUsSiTRa razii.
ian markets are holding steady. European
| markets are very quiet.
In rice prices are well maintained, but the
movement is Of a holiday order, with only
! a moderate amount of business being ei,
fected. Rice mills, which will remain closed
until after the holidays have only a small
stock on hand and are holding for full
! values. The markets on the Atlantic coast
are Quiet and at New Orleans the market
is firm, with fair demand.
Salt fish are firm, but as yet there mas
been no advance. Jobbers, however, are
1 advising their trade to lay, in large stocks
: before the price becomes higher Domestic
herring are in better supply and are onereu
more freely from Gloucester.
2 on canned fruits the market Is quiet
4 but Arm on all offerings in peaches april
cots pears and apples.
Tomatoes advanced early In the week,
g 2Ik6I5c on standards. The impression pre-
walls that the syndicate is In control or the
situation and can force even higher prices
a 1t is the opinion. however, that should the
, | price be forced above a basis allowing the
retailer to sell at 10c a can on standard IS
the consumption of tomatoes Will be
u checked materially. "a.
The market In canned FISH Is without q
| special feature in any line. The trade II
! of decidedly holiday nature.