The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-01-09
Reports Of Great Commercial Agen-
cies Shows That the Year Opens
With Growing
Business.
MILLS AND FACTORIES
Active Preparations Are Making For
the Seasons Spring Trade by
the Jobbers-Increased
CIearin1s.

NEW YORK, Jan. s.-Total bank
clearings compiled by Bradstreet's for
the principal cities in the United
States the past week were $3,ol9,697,-
600, against s2,619,293,O0, tAe cores
ponding week of last year.
NEW YORK, Jan. S.-Bradstreet's
Review tomorrow will say: Post-holi-
day quiet rules as yet in the general
trade, but active preparations are max
ing for the spring seasons trade by
the jobbers. while retailers are an
nouncing reduction sales to clear the
accumulated stocks of winter goods.
A good effect from the arrival of the
long-expected cold weather is al
ready noted at the west. In the
wholesale and jobbing lines inven-
tories have been finished and prepara-
tions for spring are actively under
way. In fact, travellers from many
cities are already on the road in
many cases. and fair results are re-
ported for the short time they have
been out. Collections show little
change from previous reports, being
still slow in the south, but better at
some eastern points. Generally
speaking the outlook is one of cheer
fulness. tempered by conservatism.
On the whole, the iron and steel
markets are quite dull as regards to
new business. The pig iron market
is inactive, the demand for basic pig
in the east furnishing about the only
prominent item of activity. However,
the productive capacity is being en-
larged. the number of furnaces in
blast January exceeding those in oper-
alton one month earlier by a.. per
cent, while the weekly capacity has in
creased about per cent
Business failures for the week were
329, against 435 in the like week of
1908. Canadian failures were Al, com
pared with 63 this week last year.
Corn exports for the week were
1,S46,OO0 bushels, against 1.112,00 in
1908; for twenty-eig,. weeks ending
January Z, 11,931,OO0, against 26059,-
900 last year.
Dun's Report.
Credit and confidence are again es-
tablished on firmer basis at the open
ing of the new year than at any time
in the past fifteen months. Progress
is steady and naturally slow, but is
along very safe and satisfactory lines.
The statement of commercial failures
issued this week clearly shows the
gradual wearing away of the effects of
the financial pressure of the early
months of last year, and this neces-
sarily has improver underlying condi-
tions. While conservatism still char
acterizes operations in many markets,
the development is along safe lines.
Changes in prices this week are not
significant, but generally in the direc-
tion of firmness. Employment in
mills and factories is steadily main
tanned and advanced with no disposi-
tion to lower the wage scales pre-
viously prevailing, which will constant
ly improve the purchasing power of
the people and add to the consumptive
demand
Iron and steel mills continue we'll
occupied on business previously
booked, and new orders are constantly
being placed. some of them for con-
siderable quantity. Some large sales
of pig iron are noted this week. and
a further demand is expected as the
year advances.
Additional work is noted In struc-
tural mills, but increased orders are
expected when spring business begins.
Additional open hearth furnaces havs
been put in operation