The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-25
SPRING TRADE.
1t Responds Heartily to the Sea-
sonable Weather.
Shipments of Merchandise Have
Increased Rapidly.
RAILROADS ARE TAXED
To Meet the Requirement of the
Growing Traffic.
Many Complaints of Car and
Motive Power Shortage.


New York. March 25.-R. G. Dun
& Co.'S weekly Review Of Trade
says,
Spring trade responds to season.
able weather, and shipments of mer-
chandise have increased so rapidly
that railway facilities are severely
taxed. At many points there is COM
plant of car and motive power short
age, and navigation of the lakes and
rivers at the north has not opened as
promptly as business demands The
customary damage from floods has
rendered many mills idle. and several
minor events added to the number -
unemployed, but these temporary adj
verse features are more than offset
by the resumption Of outdoor work.
especially in building operations and
on the farms Buyers are arriving in
large numbers at primary markets,
warm weather acceIerating prepara-
4fons for Easter trade Manufacture
ing activity continues the best news
of the week coming from the iron and
steel industry, where new records are
constantly established Textile plants
are also increasingly busy, but there
IS frequent complaint of small profit
because of high cost of production.
particularly as TO raw material and
labor.
Railway earnings for the first two
weeks of March were 10 per cent
commerce at this port for the last
week shows a gain of S2.077,012 in
exports and S175.25S in imports, as
compared with 1904
s"HoIders and makers of iron and
steel products appear to have secured
control of the situation. 1t is no
longer considered desirable to delay
the placing of contracts in expecta-
ton of better terms
Although boom conditions have
been avoided thus far and compare
lively steady quotations prevail it is
possible that in some departments of
the industry urgent ORDERS may soon
go abroad. Two special features have
developed during the past week: A
maximum movement of iron ore was
announced and the largest single con-
tract on record for steel billets was
placed. In addition the recent rec
ord breaking output of coke was fur
Their increased.
Strength is seen in the hide mar
ket. especially for native steers of
midwinter sailing, and sole leather
branded hides are in limited supply
Leather is quiet. tanners holding for
better prices than most manufac-
turers are willing to pay.
statesmen of the New England
footwear manufacturers who are in
the west report liberal fall orders,
business on the whole comparing IA
vorably with any preceding week this
Failures this week number 255 in
the United States, against 226 last year,
and 10 in Canada. compared with Is a
year ago"
Bradstreet's says:
while rejecting Irregularities, due to
rainy weather at the east and south, |
high water in central western rivers and
poor conditions of country roads gen
orally, the volume Of distributive trade
and the movement of industry hold the
increase recorded last week. From the
south, in fact, the tenor of advices is
even better. Retail trade at the large
cities is livening up as spring advances. |
Crop reports. especially from winter |
heat, are increasingly favorable, notably !
in the southwest Railway earnings re- |
fleet a heavy grain movement, large
movement of iron and allied products /
and heavy merchandise shipments in an |
increase Of 8 per cent for the first half I
Of March.
Money has hardened at a number Of |
cities. but collections still lag.
Especially active lines of trade are !
dry goods, shoes and clothing, notably 4
at the west. Lumber, hardware paints 1
and oils reflect in a countrywide, the 1
approach of an active building reason |
and hides and leather are active and /
hrmer at leading western and eastern l
markets. Farm machinery and fmple- /
fnent dealers report demand active in |
the northwest.
The really remarkable feature in /
current Industry is, however, the con-
einuance of the heretofore heavy in
quiry for all kinds of iron and steel /
crude and finished. Light on this mat /
ter ifs furnished by reports that railroad /
building this year will be the heaviest /
Tor years The opinion is increasing
that present fnsistent demand may
froce prices higher and beyond the line |