The Washington herald., 1906-12-22
HOLIDAY TRADE ENDS
Rush at Close of the Season
Sets a New Record
ANNUAL INVENTORIES START
High Money Rates Affect Some Lines
of Wholesale Trade, but i'm General
Conditions Are safisfactOry-Dun's
Review shows Expectations Real
lied in Most Lines of Activity.


view Of the weeks trade tomorrow viii
say:
Holiday buying, easily the pre-eminent
trade feature increases as the season
draws to a close and early predictions
OF a record turnover are being fully
realized. Stocks have been so well dis
posed Of that jobbers have booked a
large volume OF recorders. Otherwise,
however, general retail trade in season
able goods has been subjected to the
varieties Of weather. being excellent
where low temperatures have prevailed.
but backward in the East. parts of the
South, and in the Northwest where the
weather has been either too mild or too
rainy for the fullea developments.
In the larger disuibutive lines, whole
sale and jobbing business is compare
lively quiet in consonance with the sea-
son. drummers being in for the holidays,
while inventory is under way. Never
theless, some lines, cottons and dry
goods, for instance, have booked g0Odly
orders for spring delivery, and mills in
these lines are we'll sold ahead.
Advance Business Big.
heavy spring business. Industrial lines
are stiH very active Iron and steel are
active and Wei sold up and high prices
do not deter consumers from placing o.
degs as far ahead as the third quarter
Of 1897 The trade in general will enter
the new year with the greatest momen-
turn ever attained. car shortages stiH
continue to retard shipments and deliv-
cries. grain and coal being particularly
affected, especially in the Northwest and
oa the Pacific Coast
High rates for money still prevail. thus
causing severe fluctuations In the stock
market at New York, and affecting some
lines of wholesale trade. Bank clearings
exceed those of last week by a good mar
sin, and slightly excel those Of last year,
when business in general was likewise
active. Collections are good. fair. or slow,
al depending on the section considered.
the Southwest and parts OF the West be-
ing best situated while the Northwest is
affected by the car shortage, and the
South Atlantic States are feeling the ef-
feet of deficient cr09 yields and Vet
weather"
Dun's Report of Week.
IN its review. Dun's tomorrow will say:
Weather conditions accelerated dis
tributon of seusonabIe merchandise at re-
tail. but increased traffic difficulties and
freight blockades which threaten serious
results at some Western points. Holiday
trade has cqualed sanguine expectations.
yet this large volume has ut interfered
with the brisk demand for staple articles,
which depleted stocks to such an extent
That wholesale trade experiences unusual
activity for the season.
Numerous advances in wages are re-
ported, as a rule becoming effective Jan
uary !. and the only noteworthy decrease
in comparison with activities a year ago
appears la building permits. More con-
sfrTatism in this respect is not surprising.
in view af the high cost Of materials, the
scarcity of labor, and abnormal rates for
money
Most industrial work is maintained
at the maximum. mills and factories
having so many contracts for next
years delivery that inventories receive
little attention. Railway earnings
thus far reported for December suTpass
last years by SO per cent. For the
whole country the month Of November
provides a new record of imports AT
S119.6S9. $50. and exports of S1S2.509.-
39S were only exceeded in the previous
month and December OF last year.
iron Prices Steady.
Scarcely any change is recorded in
prices of iron. the market having de-
velOped a little Of the quiet. although
furnaces constantly receive new orders.
and in some sections the week has
brought out contracts for delivery in
the closing months of 1907.
"Steadiness in quotations and the
avoidance Of any imitation are now the
factors that will contribute most
largely 10 continued activity. and con-
servative authorities scrutinize quota
tions closely. remembering the events
of only few years ago, when reckless
speculation forced prices violently up
ward. and subsequent cancellations re-
stricted activity. fun statement OF
ore shipments for the year indorses the
estimates that all records were far sur
passed and stlll larger figures are
promised for 1901
Commercial failures this week in the
United States are 254, against POI last
week 2S3 the preceding week. and 22c
the corresponding week last year
Failures in Canada number %. against
% last week. SO the preceding week.
and 80 last year. OF failures this week
in the United States % were in the
East. GO in the South, 81 in the West.
and % in the Pacific States. and 80 re-
port liabilities of $4,000 or more. LA
bihties of commercial failures reported
10 date are $5.S03,S27. compared with
S5,57T,764 year ago"