Omaha daily bee., 1908-02-17
CONDITION Of OMAHA TRADE
Spring Sales Of Omaha Nilliners Ex-
eeed the Volume Of Last Year.
BUYERS ARE OUT IN FORCE
Merchants, with stocks Low, Place
orders and Activity Is ResRmed
In All Iines-Just Like
Last Year.

That the trade OF the northwest Is on
shown during the week by reports Of the
wholesalers Of Omaha.
on eveAy hand Il is agreed that the de-
preston during the financial furry OF last
tall Is a thing OF the past and that the
outlook Is for an increasing volume Of bus
mess until normal conditions have been
In some branches OF trade prosperity Is
fun measure and other lines show
Improvement that promises some satisfac-
! tory records at the close OF the season.
Following the end OF the stringenCy in
money comes an Improvement in ealeo-
I tons and a corresponding tendency TO buy
and sell. II also has been demons.ratei
completely that tho average country mer-
chant escaped the effects OF the fury.
| The people have cash with which to sup
| ply their needs and their needs are just
as great as ever More factories are re-
/ suu.ing operation every day aad the num-
Der OF unemployed Is decreasing and X iR
believed before long the idle mill and the
| short force will be the exception.
The feature OF the week has been tho
arrival OF the milliners. M. Spiesberger &
Son company came TO Omaha six years
ago from keokuk. Ia. IL has erected q
/ large three-story building at Eleventh and
Farnam streets and occupies every foot OF
IL. IL has made the business In Omaha
and carloads Of the fair dealers IN. mil
linery goods have arrived during the week
TO buy spring goods. said Mr.. Spiesherg
saturday; we find that from Omaha We
have been able 90 retain all our old trade
and have secured hundreds Of new custo-
mers. Milliners are now coming from the
hlSSl5slRpl river keltlluTg 10 Omana ana
| extend 90 the heart Of Colorado. The Da-
! kotas are supplied by Omaha, RE well as
Nebraska and part of Kansas"
All this has gone to show that Omaha
is the ideal location for wholesaie houses,
and despite the fact that the iobbers In
millinery do not offer to pay the railroad
| dealers are doing, they are securing the
I trade because OF price concessions which
cannot be secured in other markets.
Omaha wholesalers report that the coun-
| try merchants are coming In with their
| orders In greater numbers than year ago.
In almost every case they say their stocks
are low and must be replenished lmme-
customers
e. H. Allen OF Allen Bros. said concern
ing the trade on groceries. which has been
normal since November i:
There have been no new Developments to
attect trade generally, nor the outlook but
the trade is good, and we understand that
on the whole the trade on groceries Is
from 20 to 80 per cent larger than last
year"
While some Items seem high in the gro
Gerry line, some OF them are exceedingly
hard to get. The condition BY items is
sugar-Cuiet and unchanged. with an
easier tone. During the last week raws
sold In the east in few instances at
Coffee-In the east the market has drfted
from the activity OF week ago to de-
cided dullness and prices were barely sus-
tanned. Locally there is an easier tone,
with no change in quotations.
Teas-The conditions that characterized
the tea market week ago continue.
Everything points TO higher prices. with
the cheaper grades being actively sought
at stiff quotations All grades are IN fair
demand at unchanged values.
Spices-The tendency Is to firmness, with
the market rather quiet No change in
quotations.
Rice-Strong and active in sympathy with
the advances in the south. The medium
and better grades are hard to get at an
F'arinaceous Goods-buiiness is the fea-
ture, with bulk oatmeal selling at 3Oc per
barrel off, due. however, 10 the mills be-
ing overstocked on bulk goods rather than
to a material decline in oats.
Tapioca-Loohing upward; prices firm
and unchanged
Canned Vegetables-There is nstle change
in the general situation. Future peas ara
higher in the east. locally the cheaper
grades OF peas are hard to get Eastern
packers are. more persistently than ever en-
deavoring TO maintain prices all along the
line, while the jobbers are just as offish
Strictly standard tomatoes are firmly held
there at SOC Locally there is no change
in the quotations.
Canned Fruits-Canned peaches are be-
coming scarce Gallon apples continue
weak All lines are moving exceedingly
we'll No price changes to report.
Canned Fish - Everything firm except
oysters; movement rather slow, at quota
tions which are unchanged.
Canned Meats-Corned beef &c up. No
other changes; movement only fair
Dried Fruits-Prunes and raisins easier.
Currants and date1 are firm, All lines arc
selling well considering the high prices,
No changes in quotations.
syrups and Molasses-Market firm, quiet
and unchanged
Lincolns birthday was no check during
the week for buyers who are IN this mar
ket for spring dry goods. During the
week the houses have been full and doing
a big business. There were buyers from
distant points and from their report OF
their local trade il oppears that business
ls steadily reviying. Offerings will be
made IN the JObbing houses OF dress goods
and wash fabrics and there Is feeling
that the spring buying VIII move Off stead
ny from now on. In the mems wear mar
ket the end OF the week will witness the
opening OF several lines of high grade
fancy WOrsteds, and this will nearly COM
plete the showing OF 1903 fall Isaes. Agents
in the cotton goods market are expressing
the Oninion that the balance Of the month
the first OF March the buyers. large and
small, will be forced into the market for
bleached cottons, staple brown cottons.
eolored and fancy cloths Among the cut
ters-up In the clothing trade II Is declared
that the repeat orders on spring suits and
coming in slow. The retailers have their
sample lines ready to open and some have
already put their advanced styles on sale.
In the hosiery and underwear trade II is
reported that buying for fall is dull. and
that the tobberE are doing less than before
IN many seasons in placing orders. The
situation I'm the lining division Of the mar
ket Is complex and the leading manufac-
turers OF kid-fnished cambrics declare that
even at their new low level prices they are
this season. All OF the commission houses
and selling agencies observed the holiday
and the district was quiet
"