Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-04-11
TRADE IN WEST ACTIVE.
Business Advices Show Most Favor
able Outlook.

! New York, April 10.-Bradstreet's
Weekly Review says:
Train, grain crop and industrial re-
ports are IN the main very favorable.
West merchants, who, earlier in the
season, bought conservatively, are now
| re-ordering freely. Money continues
easy at most points. Gross railway
earnings for March indicate gain of
3 per cent over year ago.
Relatively the best reports come
from the west, the buoyancy Of ad.
vice from which is in marked con,
trast with tae same period year ago.
estima tes of the quarters business at
the leading western markets range
from 5 to Is per cent gain over 1904,
the heaviest increase being in dry
goods, lumber, shoes, paints, glass,
clothing and millinery. All show a
gain over last year.
At the east some lines of business
are. very active, but the dry goods
trade is spotted, owing to the back,
| wardness of the demand in some lines
of cotton and wool. Measures of re-
Gently past trade and financial opera
lions point to an enormous turnover in
the first quarter Of 1908.
~ ttoh dld 9ICCl, llHlolCu plOuuClS
are eagerly bought and high premiums
are paid, but there is apparently an
easier tone to crude pig. and sellers
are more disposed to book ahead into
the third and fourth quarters at pre-,
vailing prices.
Wheat, including flour, exports for
| the week are $4,000 bushels, against
1,S54,0C this week last year; July 1
to date 4S,513,000. against 117S53,0 900
last year.
Corn exports are 100000 bushels,
against 100000 year ago; July to
date 60,S45,000 bushels, against At.
$4,000 in 1904.
Dun's Weekly Review says: Re
cent gains in the volume of business
are fully maintained, but further inn
| provement is somewhat retarded by
unfavorable weather in some sections
Manufacturing returns are all that
could be desired. Building operations
| expand as the season advances, and
| agricultural prospects are better thar
normal. There is little friction be-
| tween capital and labor, most of the
new wage scales being arranged or
| another basis, and in some cases adj
Der of unemployed is steadily decreas-
ing.
Freight traffi Is very heavy, and
railway earnings in March We're 80
per cent larger than last year. Foreign
commerce at this port is very heavy
exports for last week exceeding tht
same week in 1904 by s1,590,70 while
imports have increased s1,975,2S6.
| The general increase of wages al
plants of the greatest iron and stee
producers is another tangible evidences
| of Improvement in that industry. New
orders are coming forward CONSTANTS
and it Is probable that the tonnage OF
| advance business on the books now
surpasses all previous high-watel
marks, New England footwear fac
tories are receiving a fair valume OF
fall contracts from western and south.
| ern jobbers, but duplicate spring or
| ders are scarce. Little that Is new
has developed in the textile industries
The cotton situation Is somewhat re-
| markable, because buyers make little
effort to prepare for the future, al
| though such scarcity exists in many
Lines that not only are premiums PAID
for prompt delivery, but poorer quail.
| ity and short lengths are often ac.
cepted without questioning.
| Failures this week in the United
States are 232 against 235 the cores
] popding week last year.