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Show BUSINESS AND TRADE. Tho week just past has shown decided evidences of a revival of new building activity for Salt Lako City the oncoming season. Tho Newhonse-Morris theater, the Mchcsy building project, and others thnt have been noled from time, to time, indicate the spirit of progress in the direction Hint so thoroughly animates ani-mates this city. The largo structures that wero bogun last year arc being pushed along as rapidly as the weather and tho reception of material will permit. per-mit. During Iho week there was a reorganization re-organization of tho directors of tho Nowhouse Hotel, and shipments of structural steel for it were reported. The Utah Hotel is pushing along woll. The Koarns skyscraper js having its concrete foundation put in, and all along Iho lino the indications aro for oven a greater building activity the present year than last, which was by far tho record for Salt Lake. On Friday, the Board of Public Works I ct sower contracts to tnc amount or $170,000, and bids wero received for further sewer extension and tho City Creek aqueduct and catch basin. These bids and contracts, in addition to those heretofore noted, insuro a season of progressive public improvements for Salt Lake. Tho roport of tho State Coal Mino Inspector In-spector shows an increase for tho year just past in the consumption of coal in Utah of 21 per cent over 190S. The most of that increase, of course, was in Salt Lako City. The production of coal was upwards of two million tons, and tho coko production upwards of one hundred and Eighty thousand tons. Carbon County produced nearly all of tho coal mined in this Stale. Imports of coal for the j-ear amounted to 313,-ill tons for commercial use. The exports wero 32-l,S10 tons 'of Utah coal and 41-12 tons of Utah coko. A total of 3'i0,021 tons of coal was mado into 1SO,000 tons of coko. Tho real estate market is always strong and firm in this city. Every one understands tho advantages of owning Salt Lake realty, and all realize the sudden and large profits that m.'ty bo roalizcd on it from time to timo. Important sales aro rcportod every week, and tho aggregato sales arc al-waj's al-waj's well up in good figures. Tho geuoral business of the city for the week is well summed up by the bank clearances, which show an increase in-crease of 33.9 per cent over the clearances clear-ances of tho ' corresponding wcok last year, a growth which may be pointed to with pride. The clearance sales have been generally successful, and largo quantities of goods wero disposed of iu them, clearing tho shelves for the spring trade. Buyers have been in the East for some time laying in stock for that trade in greater quantity and variety va-riety 'than over before. The mines of tho Stato arc on an excellent footing, tho oro production being rich and strong. Tho reduction facilities in this valley aro equal to thoso anywhere, and we expect to sco this year a production from the Utah mines and reduction plants of as much as $2,500,000 a month, as an average. Tho railroad situation remains uncertain un-certain so far as tho new line of the Salt Lake Route is concerned. Tho great wash-out down tho Meadow Valley Val-ley Gorge has mado the construction of a new track necessary, and the engineers en-gineers arc now btiS3' trying to locate a now lino so as lo avoid the increase of miloago on tho through route. Antagonistic An-tagonistic influences arc pulling in one direction for St. Gcorgo and in the other ior noeno; ,nui inc iact mac tnc deflection de-flection in either direction in connection with tho line would add to tho mileage makes it desirable to look further with a view of shortening the line if possible pos-sible and iu any oveut, not incroasing it any moro than it is possible to avoid. The Western Pacific is moving for ward by way of arranging for its through regular train service botween this city and San .Francisco. This service, serv-ice, of course, will not be dclu3-ed au3f longer than is noccssary to fully com-ploto com-ploto the schedule. Grievous losses of sheep on the winter win-ter ranges are rcportod b3 way of Ogdcn from Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. Mon-tana. Again, from tho same source, comes tho word that theso losses have boon greatly exaggerated. Wo trust that tho latter is tho case, and that 1 tho losses will not provo to bo as serious seri-ous as first reports would indicate. In Utah, so far as wo havo heard, there is no indication of any severe loss, and tho sheepmen hopo to bring their flocks' through the winter in good health and ' strength. j Tn the count r3' at largo, industrial and mercantile conditions arc reported irregular, ir-regular, but as a whole, .satisfactory with a promising outlook for tho spring. The failuro record of tho week was very serious, but the total was swelled by the great Now York- failure, which made the aggregato appear mora formidable for-midable than it really was; but the failures fail-ures had a depressing effect and compelled com-pelled weakness in the stock market. Consumption of iron nnd steel continues in heavy volume, and all leading producers pro-ducers aro bus3' in filling contracts. Largo sales of cotton, woolen, and worsted wor-sted fabrics arc reported, and tho jobbing job-bing market is more active. As a whole, tho outlook for distributive trado is good, though domnnd shows a relativo recession from' tho high markets established estab-lished in December. There is some uneasiness un-easiness over lnbor matters, tho coal mining situation being cspeciallj- troubled trou-bled in outlook just now. Tho rail-wa3'8j rail-wa3'8j too, aro refusing demands for increased in-creased wages, and trouble ma3' ariso from it. Tn tho metal market, silver is weaker again; copper is dull, and lead remains about firm at standard quotations. Iron is lower and spolter prices aro weak. Tho stock market in New York is unsettled, and breaks under the slieht- 4 ent pressure. There ia no Btabil i t.v in that market, and probably will not be for somo timo to come. On tho wholo, however, tho outlook for the country is vnr3 Good, nnd with fair crops tho coming season, the country will respond splendid' to iho prosperit3' that ovcr3 one sooms to feel is bound lo come. |