New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-17
BUSINESS REPORTS
SOMEWHAT BETTER
Cold Weather Stimulates Trade in
the EaSt-Improvement in
Steel Industry.

Reports OF the commercial agencies FOR
the last week are encouraging for the
most part They state that tho first real
/ cold weather of the season ion the East
stimulated buying iu the drysoods and
/ coal trades. and the easier monetary sit
uatou has made 10 easier for manu-
/ facturers 60 secure funds Tor their rec
4 auircments Signs OF Improvement are
seen bon the steel industry "Dun's Re
view says.
Changes 300 business conditions have
been mainly Iu the direction OF improve
ment auG confidence is further strength
ened Tile first real cold snap OF the
winter was decidedly favorable TO those
branches OF retail trade argely dependent
upon tine weather. while the demand FOR
fuel was also accelerated. 3 significant
I feature is The revival of activity in COM
merc.al paper. merchants and manu-
facturers finding it possible 20 provide FOR
their requirements al considerably easier
terms than heretofore.
Almost without exception reports from
the leading sections OF the country indi-
cate that mercantile and industrial enter
prises are being undertaken with i'm
creased vieor and it is gratifying that
signs OF Improvement are clearly APP
parent iu iron and steel
The usual statistics % trade move
ments are not wholly favorable. bank
ciearlnEs this week were o. yer cent less
than last year and so per cent smaller
Than i'm 1912 while gross railroad earnings
for The FIRST week OF January showed a
loss OF Cd per cent as compared with 2
year ago. although being So per cent in
excess OF 1872 The gain over the latter
period. however. is largely due to the fact
that traffic was seriously impeded by In
clement weather at that time"
"Bradstreets" has the following.
Improvement is the keynote OF this
weeks dispatches Much Of the better
ment is sentimental in character. but at
the same time considerable Of # is actual
and substantial Foremost in the budget
OF news is the better state Of employment
incident to the resumption Of operations
ia plants that had closed down over the
holidays. particularly in the iron and
steeI industry. tie freer buying OF com
merc.al paper. with banks seeking de
-irabIe grades and reporting supplies not
equa. Go demand the all around ease IN
money following months of restricted
credits and strineency. and betterment in
demand for spring and beyond. house
buying. a. well as orders from travelling
statesmen. being relatively favorable
Calls for iron and steel have enlarged.
and operations are being resumed by lum-
Der mills in parts of the South and in the
Pacihc Northwest although Il is con-
ceded that prices are low and that that
trade still is dull At the moment retail
trade is disappointing. The East being
about the only section farirg well, which
fact Is largely due 10 recent cold weather.
while temperatures at most other points
have been too mild for distribution OF
Seasouabe goods Such being the case, it
is likely that considerable winter stocks
vill be carried over. Notwithstanding wide
cuts IN prices.
Winter wheat crop reports are auspi-
cious in the Southwest pasture grass is
plentiful and i'm the South preparations
are being made for a larger cotton acre
age There seems 10 he unanimty Of
opinion as 20 favorable prospects for
spring and summer and ii Is agreed that
cOnsumptive requirements are such as 10
afford reasonable assurances OF a grad
ual return 10 normal conditions.