Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-04-17
the BUSINESS FIELD.

ternational political complications are
| sufficient to check the superintendent
activity prevailing In trade and indus
try, and the country continues setting
up new standards for future compare
sons.
! Buying of staple articles continues
wonderfully active. and another leap
forward is expected when inland navi-
cation actually opens. Winter wheat
crop conditions are better than while
a go. jobbers are busy, mail order
: houses are doing more than we'll. COL
!ections are good. money is ftrmer. idle
ness is inconseQuential, deliveries of
goods are still hard to obtain indus
trie sare pushed to the utmost. and
metal mining operations are flourish
ing.
While retail trade is a victim of ir-
regular weather. the approach of
Easter stimulates demand for article
deemed to be fixed requirements of
that season. Moreover, wages continue
to advance, voluntary increases being
made to avert strikes. savings deposits
keep on increasing, railway traffic is
heavy. the car supply is somewhat bet
ter, dividends prosper. and manufac-
lures that prior to the war were
virtually monopolized by central Euro
! pean countries are being developed
! here on al arge scale.
4 feature that looms large is the
fact that the people want more and
better goods, are getting them, too and
in consequence Injuries are receiving
| more than ordinary attention. OF
course. buying for fall ISIS purred on by
fears of still higher prices or by doubts
about ability to get materials when
and as wanted. This element of the
situation is one that creates more o.
less concern lest there be overbuying;
but, despite remarks about the wisdom
Of conservatism, the controlling note
is optimism. few, if any, doubts pre-
vailing regarding future trade being set
off its balance. In the steel trade, fin
| shed steel goes on advancing in price.
After May / rails are to go up IS a
! ton, the first change in fifteen years.
! the mills are being consistently
| prodded for deliveries. and warehouse
! stocks, because of eXigent demands. are
! being further diminished, but with rec
ord untitled orders confronting con-
} supmers, now contracts going to the
mills are for the time being somewhat
lighter. 1t is likely. too, that high
prices have held up numerous building
! projects in those cities in which land
! is dear.
Eastern reports denote nothing but
activity and widespread employment at
! employers are compelled TO make con-
! cessions. In the northwest cool wealth
er and bad roads have hampered re-
tail trade, but jobbers as well as
wholesale dealers are active. The lake
centers expect extraordinary activity
when navigation opens.
| Southwestern advices are buoyant,
with good rains helping wheat and
stimulating trade, Oil wells working at
high speed, jobbing trade more pros
porous than in years, luxuries in de-
mand and manufacturers of the prin-
cipal sections sold six months ahead.
Southern reports are favorable, even
centers that have been relatively back
ward joining in the betterment, and in
the essentially industrial zones new in
dustries are being developed, while
trade with Cuba and South America is
growing. In the far northwest the
mining industry is flourishing, old
mines that had been discontinued are
being reworked, trade with South
America and Alaska is increasing and
lumber as we'll as shinges Is going into
consumption. lgE
Il On the Pacific coast business Is I'M
!, proving and copper mining is active.
Now Fortress For Britain.
Apolima, the smallest Samoan Is.
L.. - xoL ffrrlv Se.v.