The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-02
CAN'T KEEP UP.
Steel Mills Are Falling Further
Behind Orders.
Full Production Covered Many
Months in Advance.
TRADE HAS IMPROVED
In Every Line of Business Re-
porting to Bradstreet.
Bank Clearings Alone Show a
Falling Off.
TRADE HAS IMPROVED

l
| New York, March. 2.-R. C. Dun &
Co.'S weekly review of trade says:
| Jobbing trade in dry goods and mill
inery for spring ,sist-ihutic1 contin-
ues the most active commercial 1ea
| ture.
| Leading industries have orders COW
ering full production many months In
| advance, and steel mills are falling
further behind with deliveries because
| of new business greater than the daily
| rate of output.
The only adverse feature is the US
ual discussion of wage scales, but no
extensive struggle is imminent.
Collections improve, but are still
slow in some sections on account of
high money rates, which are not ma
terially affected by the liquidation of
stocks nor the progress of legislation
for relief.
Steadiness is the dominant feature Of
the iron and steel markets. Some dis
position is noted on the part of iron
! consumers to insist on concessions, but
as most furnaces need no new business
! before July and some sold up lO
the last quarter Of the year prices are
firmly held and few contracts are
| placed.
Mills producing finished steel shapes
or partially manufactured forms make
no progress in overtaking orders, and
| IN many cases the complaints Oh COLI
sumers indicate that deliveries are
| falling further behind.
More advances in the price of cotton
| goods at primary markets testify as
| to the inability of the mills to handle
! the business i'll sight and the urgency
I of the demand from second hands that
were not prepared for the needs of
distributors. Progress is slow in wool
market have returned home aftSr
placing orders that do not establish a
definite position. Dress goods fabrics
are now fairly opened, and cutters take
more interest in new lines, although
| orders are still placed cautiously.
| New business at New England foot
! wear factories is chiefly limited to sup
Elementary orders from eastern job
| bers for late spring and early summer
delivery Small contracts for fall goods
| appear occasionally, but it is still some
| what early for activity in this depart
ment Supplies Of sole leather IN
! disposed to await lower prices, many
| still holding stocks secured in Decem-
| ber Packer branded hides sell freely
at steady prices, but active skins are
weak and neglected, declines being
quoted on some grades.
Bradstreet's. $40 :
| Bradstreet's SAYS: a Iifoa z9,i-.s lD1i g.
Trade has Improved all around. =. In,
| terror merchants report stocks quite
low and money ple1itiful. Moreover,
the recent cold snap permitted dealers
! in heavy wearing apparel to work off
stocks that promised to become bur-
densome. Opinions. as to the outlook
| for the second half of the year vary.
yet it is felt that a pause would not be
unweIcome-in fact would have a
now sold very far ahead and for
which heavy contracting still con
! tinues. Manufacturing is active and
finished lines of iron and steel are as
brisk as heretofore, though pig iron
markets are quiet
Winter wheat returns are not so fav-
orable. Collections are somewhat
ba ckward, owing partly to delayed de-
liveries, partly to the immense volume
of business being carried on and partly
to the comparative scarcity of money.
Southwestern sections are especially
favored central western points report
more doing. southern advices are of
increased activity except at a few
points, and the situation in the north
west, where the stress of weather con-
ditions has been felt most, is improv-
threaten another blockade In the
Pacific northwest the lifting blockade
is only partial, the lumber industry
particularly feeling this, and a gen.
eral scarcity of stocks of goods has re-
suited in trade.
The cotton goods situation is one of
tremendous present strength, print
cloths selling at the highest point in
generation, ana all OJner prOQuCIS,
from yarns to the finest cloths, selling
at almost aforementioned prices.
Demand for anthracite coal is good
and the situation as regards btu
minous is favorable. but in the west
supplies are more liberal, but the
market easier. In copper considerable
business has been placed for delivery
in April and May. Premiums are in
creaSing for anything like prompt sup
plies
The wool market displays marked
firmnesS and more activity has de-
veloped in domestic we'll as foreign
grades. Changes in fashion appear to
have developed a greater tendency to
use wooden goods and help the sale of
foreign woods adapted to this class OF
fabrics.
low and the impression is that every
pound will be cleaned up at full prices
before the new clip is available.
Cuban sugar production and ship
ments are very large and cane sugar
prices are still far below a parity with
European beet sugar. There has been
"a very strong market for coffee
futures, European covering here and
heavy buying by roasting interests be-
ing reported.
Business failures in the United
States for the week ending February
% number 1914. against III last week.
$50 in the same week of 1906, 206 III
1905, 1875 in 1904 and III in 1903.
Canadian failures for the week
number Is, as against IS last week
and 80 in this week a year ago.
Bank C1earings.
Bradstreet's bank clearing report for
the week ending February IS shows an
aggregate of 81. 567 494. COO. as against 49,
pa 1S2, 900 last week and s. 229 535, 900 in the
corresponding week last year.
Canadian clearings for the week total
$6S. SS9, 600 as against $72, go. 600 last week
and $65S60.0O0 in the same week last year.
Thousand column IS omitted. The fol-
lowing is list of the cities:
Amount. Inc Dec
New York ........... 81, 546 3S1 26 3
Chicago 80 .... 2l3721 al