Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-14
HOW BUSINESS is GROWING.

Another busy week, buster. perhaps
than ever before at this season Is in
! Dictated by reports to Bradstreet''
Journal for last week. Speaking in
general sense, industry is sold up To-
months to come, scarcity of material:
is patent, demand is apparently insat'
, liable. regardless of prices, and the
country is confronted by an eXtraor-
binary situation. Buyers excursions
to the larger metropolitan cities have
brought in an army of visiting mer.
chants the result being an active de-
lnand ON jobbers for textiles, with in
terror merchants buying freely because
eff concern over probable lack of de-
sirabe supplies later on, and in nu-
merous Instances this feeling is mani
tested in requests for prompt ship
ments Of goods required for this
spring, which fact also evidences the
existence of light stocks in the hands
OF final purveyors. Packing rooms OF
leading houses are pushed to capac-
ity TO get out orders, road sales keep
on growing.
Cold weather has helped midwinter
trade in heavy goods, mail orders are
heavy, export trade in cereals is very
large, scarcity of raw materials ham
pers full outputs in various industries,
# he
complained of, lack of cars, with re-
curing embargoes, congests traffic,
vessels are insufficient TO carry ton
mage waiting, railway earnings are re-
markable. passenger traffic is large,
collections are good, money is suber-
abundant, wages continue to mount,
heavy products are sold up for 1916,
railroad buying Of supplies is more
pronounced, copper is being consumed
on an unparalleled scale, and heavy
SHOWS have benefited the farmers.
OF course. in distinctive channels,
things to eat and to wear receive most
call. but luxvuries are receiving much
more attention, increased demand for
jewelry, furniture, cigars, pianos, and
worthy. On the other hand, the sit
uatOn in general is marked by certain
drawbacks. Complaints about high
prices in many lines affecting profits
are growing more numerous, steel
mills are confronted with the probler.
Of how to satisfy home customers at
much lower prices than foreign bust
ness commands, labor Is FESTIVE, the
year to date baving been marked by
many strikes, while the outlook as re-
CARDS grievances Of coal miners and
western railway employees is clouded.
and demand for pig iron suggests more
or less inertia which causes conserva-
tism among buyers, who seem prone
TO look for price concessions.
Business in the east keeps on broad
en:ng, IN the west the presence OF
many buyers of spring goods makes
for marked activity in house trade,
in the northwest unfav orable weather
retards shipments on branch railway
lines, but fails TO deter in any marked
degree the upward tendency OF trade,
and in the southwest buyers excur-
sions result in greater demand on job
bers. In parts OF the south activity
is not up to expectations. probably
ing held. and in part because Of the
effects Of high water IN navlgable
streams. The far northwest is win
ming out after experiencing unprece-
lented snowstorms, which. however,
presage good future prospects for
formers and users OF water power.
Chicago reports 5000 buyers in
town, and demands for prompt ship
ments have crowded shipping facili-
ties to the limit. Buyers seem to rec
ognize necessity of free buying If ade-
Quate supplies are to be secured. A
meeting of retailers decided to begin
a campaign of education TO explain
why prices are higher. Railroads are
buying much more freely of supplies.
Western railroads report a shortage of
Ing them. st. Louis reports feature
Of the trade situation TO be improved
by railroads. including cars and track
supplies. Hotels are unusually vel!
filled. Country buyers of dry goods
are taking goods freely. The bond
market has been improved by the re-
duct;on of interest rates by local
banks.