The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-01-11
"BRADSTREET AND Dun
REPORT ON BUSINESS
Encouraging Reports Are Made
as Result of Opening of the
New Year.

New York, Jan. 8.-Bradstreet's Sat-
urday said:
"At the advent Of the new year.,
trade and Industrial conditions seem
to be Of ar encouraging character. At
h moment retail lines present the
most active branches of d~istributive
trade, while In industrial pursuits, iron
and steel and textile mills rave en-
larged their working forces. OF course
the returns are not uniform In all in
stances, quiet trade being especially
marked at the south and some cities
elsewhere also indicate that the severe
weather, instead of developing business
has actually retarded 1t.
In the larger lines, wholesale and
1obbing for example, trade IL marked
by the customary seasonal slowness
and while some statesmen are again on
the road, 1t Is too early to expect much
In the way Of new orders. What few
buyers have come to the dry goods
markets speak hopefully, but the con-
sensus seems to indicate that country
merchants will be chary about plac-
Ing orders In quantity for some time.
"A conservatively cheerful sentiment
prevails In the iron n steel trades,
but at the moment new business IL
light, following the heavy bargain buy
Ing witnessed in December, and at the
same time some lines are not yet free
from competition.
"As matters stand, the saner ten
dency Is to guard against overestimat-
ing the improvement and to regard the
large orders already booked as a basis
for future betterment. Collections are
not better than fair. being especially
slow In the south, but q more favor
able turn taken by the lumber trade
In the far west Is expected to improve
payments In that quarter, where set
Elements AVE been slow.
Business failures in the United
States for the week ending January 4
were 349, against 304 last week, 2S2
In the like week Of 1911, PIT in 1910, 800
in 1909, and 435 in 1908.
Business failures in Canada for the
week number %, contrasting with 20
last week, and q In the like week Of
1911"
Dun & Co.'S weekly review of trade
today says:
THE year opens with a pronounced
Increase of business confidence based
on the improvement during the past
three months, especially in iron and
steel, copper and dry goods: and there
Is a growing belief that the new year
Will prove better as to the volume OF
business transacted han 1911, though
this optimism Is tempered by much
conservatism.
1.-THE increased operations and large
working forces feature the opening year
In iron and steel. Some plants that
were closely entirely or on only part
time are resuming again inc the lead
Ing interests is now running at about
81 per cent of capacity.
BLAST furnace capacity has in
creased at Pittsburgh, the local car
plants are more active and finished
lines show further improvement with
several additional orders for line pipe
and structural material. Prices are
firmer for the first half, basic iron Is
quoted at S12.45 and Bessemer $14.25
and $14.50 valley.
"Crude material has advanced 80
cents to 81 per ton, forging billets be-
ing especially firm at $26, Pittsburgh,
while with a better demand SIPS Is the
minimum for bar iron and $1.15 for steel
bars, Pittsburgh"