The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-22
Many Buyers, But Small Orders
the Rule.
NUMBER HAS DOUBLED
Twice as Many Steel Mills Work.
ing as Last Month.
Bank Clearings Show an In
crease Over Last Week.

New York, Feb. 22-R G. Dun &
Co.'S Weekly Review of Trade says:
Further slight improvement is noted
in the volume of trade. and confidence
ress is slow. Buyers have attended
the primary and jobbing markets in
large numbers, placing fair orders for
spring goods. although the disposition
is still to restrict operations to small
quantities, upon which prompt ship
ers anticipated early supplementary
orders, however, as the pressure for
quick delivery is considered indorse-
ment Of the general belief that stocks
resumed. and it is announced that
many other plants will open next
month, while lower costs of construc-
ton revive consideration of plans for
extensions and new buildings that
were postponed last fall.
Gradually the volume of new busl-
ness increases in the steel and iron in
dustry, although most orders are for
small quantities About 7one-half of
the capacity of steel mills OF the lead
whereas as the year opened the active
percentage was scarcely more than
one-quarter. and many other mills will
resume after next week.
Bradstreet's.
Bradstreet's says:
Widespread stormy weather has had
the effect of dulling distributive trade,
interrupting railway traffic. and re-
stricting the movement of grain to
market to the smallest volume in %
months. In addition floods in the
Ohio and tributary valleys have re-
stricted industrial operations for q
time.
Jobbing trade, judging from the re-
ports received, continues as recently
noted, a good sized aggregate OF small
orders for immediate or near shipment
being reported at leading markets.
Millinery, dry goods and kindred lines
are in chief demand with staple goods
preferred to novelties, which latter are
rather neglected.
Retail trade is at transition point
and Is quiet as a whole. responding to
the decreased purchasing power OF
the wage earning classes. Talk of
reduction in wages by railroads and
others Is widespread. Industrial af-
fairs show little change with shut
balancing assumptions There is, for
instance, more doing in finished lines
OF iron and steel, but in crude forms
rather less is doing and the leading
producing interest in wooden goods
reports SIS per cent of It's looms idle.
Collections are a trif1e better, but
requests for extensions are still very
numerous.
Business failures in the United
States for the week ending February
90 number 326, against 326 last week
and 1T in the like week of 1907, 1876
in 1905, 220 in 1905 and 200 In 1904.
Failures for the week in Canada,
number As, as against IS last week
and 10 in this week a year ago.
Wheat (including flour) exports
from the United States and Canada
for the week ending February 20
aggregated 3,291,064 bushels. against
4,O37,6s0 last week, 2,s32.4e1 this
week last year and 3.60s,436 in 1902.
For the "a weeks of the fiscal year
the exports are 151,895,428 bushels,
against 11s.S16.242 in 1906-'o7. and
1T6,194,1o6 in 10000.
Corn exports for the week are
1,5ss,3s2 bushels. against LISTS. OIL
last week and 1.688.63s in 1907. For
the fiscal year to date the exports are
s5,1s1,425 bushels. against as.S24.166
in 1906-07.