Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-04-07
The BUSINESS FIELD.

The general trade outlook continues
in all branches is manifest The dis
astrous floods caused more or less in
terruption TO transporting and dis
triburing agencies. but as these are
restored a return 70 full normal activ-
ity is expected. Fortunately. the flood
damage, while great, was hy no means
as large as the first reports indicated.
March bank clearings were .. per cent
less than last year, tho 81 per cent
larger than in 1911. Railroad earnings
during four weeks Of March, on the
other hand. made the important gain
OF per cent.
While the iron and steel industry
was disorganized by the floods, mills
and furnaces are rapidly resUminS
work and fundamental conditions re-
main distinctly favorable Reports
from the textile trades indicate sub
stantial and healthy demand. which,
while not anticipating The future 10
any large extent, shows that there is
a steady consumption that makes cur
rent everyday purchases very heaT:.
With the advantage Of settled weather,
retail and wholesale domestic trade is
expected to expand greatly. building
operat atoms are generally active. Win
ter wheat conditions are excellent.
The balance Of merchandise exports
over imports in eight months amounted
10 s474,ooo 900 and the favora Die for
the lotest week at New York the ex-
ports were S2l64s.0 900 which We're not
only s2,361,434 larger than the imports,
but were more than $4,000 300 greater
than the exports q year ago, while the
comparison with 1911 was still better.
Business in iron and steel has nat
orally been restricted by the recent
disastrous floods. but plants are re-
Stunning sooner than was predicted and
the general situation IS viewed with
confidence .Altho il is now apparent
that some reports We're highly eXag-
gerated. the property loss was serious
enough and many manufacturing es-
Establishments were compelled 70 shu,
down al a time when pressure for de-
liveries was urgent. OBVIOUSLY rail
road traffic was materially hampered
and freight movement, therefore. will
~ "a w
weeks 10 come. Had i not been for
the floods, the output Of pig iron would
have attained q new record during
March and even with the forced sus-
pensions Of WORK rhe production APP
parently exceeded tha, OF the shorter
month Of February
The fact is business IS fundamentals
" sound. About the only basis for ex-
pecting recession in this country IS the
proposed changes ii he tariff law.
The present roIume Of business con
quirements of consumers are responsi.
bic for this. There may be a general
slowing down. later, but there is no
reason to look for anything serious
The railroads and other large corpora
lions have not been buying anything
more than actual needs required, and
in most cases the transportation sys-
TENS OF the country are still in need OF
both rails and equipment in order TO
handle expeditiously the large volume
of traffic. Their future needs of the
railroads must De met, and the iron
and steel mills of the country will be
kept busy because of these urgent re-
quirements. The and-to- mouth pol
fey pursued by consumers generally is
likely to continue indefinitely. but II is
&c: a bad sign. Z may indicate uncer-
tainty or lack of confidence, but it
makes for sounder business.
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