Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-12-06
NOW BUSINESS KEEPS UP.

1
The commercial agencies say that
last week was the busiest In long
| time. Activity In trade as well as In
leading industries is unabated-is more
marked. in fact. than heretofore. job
bers. wholesale dealers, retailers, man
ufacturers and bankers are a mutt In
reporting activity. and sold-up-for-
months to- come is the condition Of nu-
merous industries. Complaints spring
from inability to get supplies and from
chagrin at not having bought at lower
price levels than now prevail. rather
than from lack of demand.
! OF course cold weather over wide
area. with holiday buying. tends to &C
/ centuate activity and to testify to the
| increased purchasing power of the
masses. thanks to widespread employ
ment at relatively high wages. Holi-
! day buying has started on large scale,
and numerous sections OF the country
report that the better grades of gifts
are in request.
winter-like weather in the west,
northwest and southwest has resulted
in brisk demand for heavy wearing
apparel, and at the same time low
stocks in the hands Of interior distrib-
utors cause activity among jobbers.
while advances In raw materiais-a
feature, by the way. Of most important
commodities this week-send orders for
sprins shipment to wholesale dealers
in staple articles. Incidentally. the
steady demands being made for i'm
mediate shipments corrooorate reports
as to depleted stocks-a Widespread
condition.
Industry swings along at an active
gait, the iron and steel trade leading.
viii mills unable to supply demands
despite augmented capacity, while new
domestic business is unchecked by
higher prices. But in other industries
the circle of activity Is widening. and
the situation is one in which produc-
ers' views as to prices dominate
Wooden mills, lumber plants. coal
mines, furniture factories. flour mills,
shoe factories. machine shops, toy man
| ufacturers, automobile plants. textile
mills. shipyards, manufacturers OF
workingmen's clothing. copper lead and
zinc mines. manufacturers Of clothing,
manufacturers Of cigars, coke operat-
ors, hardware plants, stove foundar-
les, and, Of course, manufacturers OF
ws- munitions. are all busy. many be-
ing pushed to a record pace, and in
some cases new business is not being
solicited.
There is more doing in building.
either because Of the erection of new
plants or on account Of extensions to
old ones. while the housing or en-
ployes who have been attracted to CEN
ters of marked activity also is factor.
Real estate attracts more attention.
| Railway traffic is heavy, embargoes
have been placed by some western
roads against cars going to Atlantic
seaboard points. earnings of many
roads are of record proportions, east
ern terminals are blocked, and wheat
has been forwarded by rail from the
Pacific northwest to the east, this be-
ing presumably due to lack Of bottoms
for export. Farmers still incline to hold
wheat. seemingly taking their cue from
the action Of the Canadian government
In communicating supplies at storage
points in the Canadian northwest but
the movement to Europe continues very
heavy. Agriculturists are liberal buy
ers of general merchandise. collections
are better, bank clearings are heavy,
Europe continues to send gold here,
money Is in better demand. and some
western banks are quite well loaned up.
Reports from different sections taken
from Bradstreets:
Minneapolis reports flour mills work
Ing to their utmost capacity and with
no let up in prospect. st. Paul reports
the past week the busiest Of the year
in general trade, and the shortage OF
materials, especially furs. II complained
of by manufacturers. Duluth reports
lake navigation officially closed. but
many boats are still running. San An
tonic reports Mexican trade again In
evidence. st. Louis reports retail trade
far ahead Of last year and larger than
1913, holiday trade promising a record
volume, and November clearings broke
all records. Mobile exports for No
vember are so per cent ahead OF last
year. Chattanooga says that 15-cent
cotton is predicted. manufacturers are
, running full time, and iron furnace ca
pacity is being increased. Birmingham
reports trade good In Industrial CEN
tiers; iron and steel interests are over
! run with business. and railroads are
taxed with freight. Charleston, 8. G.
is getting ready to entertain the South.
ern Commercial Congress, and cooler
weather helps retail trade. Montgom.
cry, Ala, reports yellow pine lumber
active at rising prices. Seattle reports
Improvement in lumber at prices ad
vance: mills are only accepting immed
late delivery orders. and surplus stock
: Of all grades at 80 TO 50 per cent smalls
. than year ago. Chicago reports west
ern railroads freight loadings In No
vember 10 to 10 per cent over las
year: higher prices induce wheat mar
keting, interior steel mills increasing
; capacity, coal and lumber more active
, and mail order sales for the year ar
: 0f record prop0rtioua -5ssE5 Es.yl5 4 ~