Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-07
CONDITION OF OMAHASTRADE
Local Wholesalers Getting Good Start
After Holidays
BIG BUSINESS FOR YEARS FIRST WEEK
january IL Expected 60 he n Record
Breaker-RetaiIers Have Money
and Collections Are Good
with Jobbers.
c BUSINESS FOR YEARS FIRST WEEK

For the last week the wholesalers have
not been pushing hard for business. In
voices were taken by most tobbers early
in the week, and since then they have been
busy with pricing. Owing to the holt
days. statesmen did not get cut on tne
road until the middle of the week. orders
sent in by them are larger ana more
numerous than is usual for this time, ana
the iobbers feel that the business Tor the
month will be a record breaker Tor jan
Collections have been good. Retailers in
the country enjoyed a good holiday traue,
and with the closing up of their accounts
for the year have plenty of money to meet
their bills IN Omaha. -
Sugar was strong for the week, raws
having advanced sharply. Wet weather
continues in Cuba, retarding grinding ana
the indications are for higher prices De
fore the crop is marketed, As a result oano oil
the advance in raws, New YORK renneIs
have advanced all grades OF rehned sugars
1Oc a hundred. This will no doubt De fol,
lowed by an advance In the south anu
the cheese market has remained nom
inal. Desirable skins are not oVerplenu-
The first week of the year has seen q
quiet market In salt hsh. Prlces are "eH
maintained at prevailing high hgures, -,
The official figures on the sardine pack
have not been made public, but II Is Ger.
tain that 1t will exceed any or recent CEN
600 cases, which is about 100000 cases larger
than last year.
Rice has been moving rapidly for the last
thirty days Jobbers look for a general I'm.
provement in prices In this line and expect
to see both head rice and Japans consld-
erably higher before the new crop Is re0 0n tn
firm tone on the Atlantic coast and at new
orleans.
strength in Tomatoes.
Outside of tomatoes there Is little interest
and little change of prices In the canned
goods line. strong interest has been
shown in tomatoes for thirty days, and the
| Baltimore market has steadily Increased
until Friday. They are now held at Zoe per
| dozen higher than the basis OF values De-
cember l. On account of this increase IN
values California goods are coming forward
and can be landed at somewhat less than
| the eastern packs. Gallons also are taking
| on additional strength. The general posi-
! ton is one of exceptional strength, and a
! further rise In values is freely predicted;
Coffee was strong for the week on the
| large decrease in the visible supply FOR the
| month of December. 1t was Az, I5i bags,
and 1t was expected to be only about $4,000
! bags. The total movement for December
| January are $4,000 bags, against $1,000 bags
| last year for the same month. There VIII
| be steady decrease in the supply now until
| July, when the new crop comes on. Al
| though the eastern trade papers quote is
| at S1sc Omaha jobbers nave been unable 70
! get any offerings at less than 69sc. inc
Journal of Commerce contains some talk
| that If the Brazilian government puts an
export duty on coffee Roosevelt will favor
In peas the market offers little feature.
Stock Of desirable grade is In close LOSE com.
the principal producing points report the
! lightest stocks in first hands for a number
! of years Corn is in fair shape under an
! increased consumptive demand, due to eX-
| ceptionally low prices ruling.
The entire line of dried fruits with the
possible exception of raisns, is In stronger
position than ever. Prunes have been
marked up 1Ac in the last thirty days.
! Higher prices are freely predicted and Will
/ doubtless come with the heavy demand for
| fruit in the spring. Apricots and peaches
are firm, without large movement. Raisns
are weak and there Is a strong disposition
| to urge sales.
Dry Goods and Shoes.
| No quotabe changes are to be noted In
| the price of cottons. Travellers for the va
rious houses are now on the road and q
| few orders are already coming in. In addi-
ton to the advance business which has been
| taken for spring January undoubtedly Will
| be a very busy month. Sales have extended
! to all departments. An advance is looked
| for In prints almost any day. Some large
orders have been taken for these goods
from retailers who are anticipating a
| change of price. Collections have been
good.
/ With the snow and thaw some orders for
shoes have come in to local shoe jobbers.
It was only a spasmodic demand however,
and there will have to be cold spell Of q
! week or more before the jobbers enjoy a
good trade Shoes continue to show a
higher tendency though no actual advances
| have been named.