Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-10
CONDITION OFOMAHA'S TRADE
Week is Busy One in the Local
Jobbing World.
MERCHANTS HOLD CONVENTIONS An D sUY
Second spring Merchants Meeting
Proves Record Breaker and Third
of Series Begins saturday,
Features OF the Market.

Last week was busy one in the Omaha
lobplng world. More than 800 dealers were
the Nebraska Retail Hardware association,
and the Nebraska Furniture Dealers assoc
citation had a good attendance at its con-
The second spring merchants meeting
held TINS year by the Omaha Jobbers and
manufacturers association has been prov
ing record breaker. For the whole meet
ing so far about 3l5 certificates have been
validated, and 2lS were presented for vail
dation on the last day of the hardware
mems convention. The sale OF tickets for
the third meeting will begin February 16.
Hardware jobhers did a brisk house trade
this week by reason of the fact that SO
many retailers were in the city to attend
the convention. Travelling men were in OF
the road. and every effort was made to en-
terrain the visitors. Staple goods remain
unchanged In price and practically all lines
are firm.
The outlook for heavy sale Of builders
hardware. beginning early I'm the spring, Is
even better than a year ago and the hap
piness of the jobbers IS marred only by
the fact that goods are so slow in arriving
from the factories. The local houses have
sent men east to stay at the factories until
they get the material. Hundreds OF people
I'm Nebraska, Wyoming and South Dakota.
having started with a certain pattern, are
enough to finish their houses.
Implement shipments Going.
Implement houses have begun their rush
of shipments, and no employe has more
than time TO breathe. Jobbers are contin-
goods at once in order to avoid trouble
from delayed shipments later I'm the spring.
Many of the hardware men who, were in
the city are also implement dealers. and
business for the week was lively.
No new feature has developed in the dry
goods line; Prices on all goods are firm,
and the demand is good for both staple
and fancy articles. Business so far for the
year runs 10 to % per cent ahead Of the
The leather situation remains about the
same as 1t was last week The market IL
firm and there is no indication of a drop
In leather prices this year. The demand
for shoes of all grades is good, road sales
men sending in good orders. House trade
has been fair.
Paints, oils and Glass.
This was a busy week for the jobbers Of
and furniture dealers, who were in at
tendance at the conventions, made the paint
houses visits and bought quite heavily.
There is no change In the glass situation.
Oil is unchanged being 43 cents for boiled
llnseed and Al cents for raw. Lead con-
az Ice cents t" while Southern is ~ cents Tur.
pentine is rs cents. The business for spring
deliveries shows an increase Of nearly 90
Retailers are looking for a big business in
paints, oils and glass this year.
Canned and Dried Goods.
There is very little change to report in
the market for-Bpot canned goods, but fu-
lures are attracting the attention of the
Jobbers and considerable business is being
done in the way Of contracting for fail de-
livery AS reported last week, almost
everything In the line Of canned vegetables
and fruits Is opening on higher basis than
last season. Additional cost OF tins, boxes,
solder, labels and the prospective scarcity
OF labor, all are taken into account in fixing
prices. On account of the market being
closely cleaned up on tomatoes, peas, string
and refugee beans and all kinds OF gallon
stun, 1t would seem that the sales of flu
lures must be unusually large this season,
and 1t would also appear that the pur-
chase of futures on the part of the re-
tailers would certainly be safe, because OF
the fact that there is no carrying over to
depress the market.
The dried fruit market Is inactive. Sup
plies are very light and II is expected there
will be very little change or lower prices
until about the time new goods are avail
able.
The rice market is strong and active,
heavy trading with advances being noted
on both fancy Jap and fancy head rides,
amounting to hc TO sc on the flrst and 40
TO NC on the latter. The supply of rice is
comparatively small, not more than half
of the ordinary requirements Of the domes-
tic trade. so that before the end of the
season there will doubtless be some heavy
imports. With this condition apparent the
millers In the south are very firm In their
ideas on all except very inferior stock.