The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-07-12
TRADE PROSPECTS
PRESENT ROSY HUE
PREPARATIONS FOR FALL AND
WINTER BUSINESS.
FEWER WoRKMEN ARE IDLE
Demand for Labor in Country Districts
and in Industrial Field Far
in Advance Of Previous
Seasons.


New York, July 7.-R. G. Dun &
Co.'S weekly review Of trade says:
Seasonably quiet conditions have
appeared in many commercial de-
partments, the first week in July, In
variably bringing the minimum Of &C.
tivity in certain occupations, but
preparations for unprecedented fall
and winter trade increase with the
maturity Of the crops.
A few small strikes were started
with the new month, and work was
delayed pending agreement on wage
scales in other cases where no formal
struggle was announced, while an
thracite coal miners took the usual
extended holiday; but large number
of textile workers resumed when the
old rate of pay was restored, and the
aggregate of idleness is probably at
the lowest point ever touched at this
season.
Prospects for the coming season are
frightened by the appearance Of job.
bers in the primary markets several
Weeks earlier. ludu
Failures for Six Months.
Failures returns for the first half Of
1906 showed pronounced improve
ment in every department except one
embracing occupations chiefly of a
speculative nature and the ratio of de.
faulted liabilities to solvent payments
through the clearing houses during
the last three months was only 70
cents to $1,000.
Railway earnings thus far available
for June show gains of 81 per cent.
over the figures OF 1905, while for the
last week at this port foreign com.
merce returns exhibited increases of
1854, 09S in imports and s756,365 in
exports.
Steel mills have found some diff.
Guilty in securing satisfactory deliv.
cries of material, and entered the
scrap market to a degree that hard.
ened prices.
Primary Markets Weaker.
Although few changes have occur.
red in list prices Of cotton goods, the
primary markets are actually weaker,
on account Of special concessions in
order to secure contracts. 1t is still
noteworthy that purchases are re.
stricted to pressing requirements
practically no forward deliveries be-
ing arranged. ....,..
Failures this week were 1913 in the
United States against 100 last year,
and IL in Canada against 81 last
year.
Bradstreet's Report.
Bradstreet's report says in part:
1t has been between-seasons
week in general trade and industry,
but more than usual seasonable bust.
ness is doing despite holiday influ.
ences. The taking of inventories and
in the case of Industrial plants the
making of repairs is naturally a fea.
ture. Nevertheless bright prospects
continue unimpaired. Fall orders are
coming forward in good volume. Crop
conditions on the whole are very ia.
vorable. Pig iron displays more firm
ness and considerable business has
been booked while finished lines could
hardly be in better position, demand
from the railways continuing to be
most marked. Labor is scarce, not
only in the crop growing regions, but
in the industrial sections as well, the
paucity of help curtailing production
Of Pennsylvania coke. Incidentally a
strike of puddlers and finishers in
eastern bar iron mills affects the sit
uation, but the disturbances are pure
ly local.