The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-12-27
TRAFFIC TROUBLES
CHECK BUSINESS
SERIOUS RESULTS THREATENED
BY CAR SHORTAGE.
TRADE OTHERWISE is BRISK
Dun's Review Says Holiday Sales
Have EquaIed Sanguine Expecta-
ticns---Mills and Factories
Full Of Orders.

New York, Dec. OR. G. Dun &
Co.'S weekly review of trade says:
Weather conditions accelerate dis.
tribution of seasonable merchandise
at retail, but increased traffic difficult
ties, freight blockades and shortage of
motive power not only retard business,
but threaten serious results at some
western points. Holiday trade has
equalled sanguine expectations, yet
this large volume has not interfered
with the brisk demand for staple
articles, which depleted stocks to such
an extent that wholesale trade ex-
periences unusual activity for the
season.
The only noteworthy decrease in
comparison with activities year ago
appears In building permits. Most in-
dustrial work is maintained at the
maximum, mills and factories having
so many contracts for next years de-
livery that inventories receive little
attention.
Cotton Is Very Strong.
In the primary markets for textile
goods the event of greatest interest is
the strength of cotton and the prac-
teal impossibility of securing prompt
deliveries from manufacturers. While
the demands have diminished some
what in comparison with the pressure
that has been noticed for some weeks,
there is still steady inquiry, and
selling agents are utterly unable to
arrange shipments as requested. There
is little disposition to dispute quota
tions as the goods can be secured, al
though much business has been trans
acted and the question is raised as to
how much speculative buying has &C.
Cured.
The opening of the wooden goods
season has been sufficiently irregular
TO make it difficult to determine the
trend of demand. Much business has
been done in staple dress goods for
delivery next fall at last years prices.
Footwear producers report excep-
tionally good business for the season,
although statesmen have left the road.
Supplementary additional business is
noted in fall samples at the west.
Staple Farm Products.
Staple farm products have iuctuated
within narrow limits, no developments
Of importance being reported. Wheat
had the support of unfavorable crop
news from Russia, but light grinding
by domestic mills prevented any ma
terial improvement and there was no
speculative activity.
Liabilities of commercial failures
thus far reported for December
amounted to $5,7O3,S27, of which
t3.434, $50 were in manufacturing,
s2,11S,244 in trading and $150,753 in
other commercial lines.
Early Predictions Realized.
Bradstreet's says:
Holiday buying, easily the preemi.
nent trade feature, increases as the
season draws TO a close and early pre-
dictions of record turnover are be-
ing fully realized. Stocks have been
so well disposed of that jobbers have
cooked a large volume of recorders. |
Otherwise, however, general retail
trade in seasonable goods has been
subjected to vagaries of the weather,
being excellent where low tempera-
lures have prevailed, but backward in
the east, parts of the south and in the
northwest where the weather has been
too mild or too rainy for the fullest
developments. In the larger distrlbu-
i've lines, wholesale and jobbing bust
ness is comparatively quiet in con-
Eonance with the season, drummers
being in for the holidays, while in
ventorying is under way. Neverthe-
less. some lines, cotton and dry goods,
Tor instance, have booked goodIy or
Eers for spring delivery, and mills in
these lines are well sold ahead. Most
branches of trade anticipate heavy
spring business.