Slow, Steadv Gain l^in Business Here, Leaders Report Stockmen, Bankers, Railroad Officials Well Pleased With First Quarter of 1925. A slow but steady improvement in general business conditions for the first quarter of 1925 Is the concensus of opinion of Omaha business leaders. "Things are moving along in a safe forward manner and improvement is steady.” Put into a sentence this is the reply given to The Omaha Bee in lesponse to ail inquiries. The in creased price of agricultural products furnishes a good foundation for the business structure. Ford Ilovey, president of the Stockyards National bank, says. "The liiffh prices received for grain during the latter part of 1924 and the early months of this year, together with the good prices received for hogs and sheep, has helped the farmers and livestock men to recover from losses of the past. They are paying current expenses, keeping up interest and In many instances liquidating the re remainder of old obligations.” Cattle have been only fair during ihe first quarter of the year and Ilovey believes they have only begun to come back. He believes cattle are due for a sharp advance in the near future. Money is comparatively easy and there is no difficulty in financing ngi-mal operations. Hotter Than Expected. Bruce McColloch, editor of the Stockman-Journal, says business has liven better with the commission men than anticipated at the beginning of the year. "Everyone looked for de creased receipts and we have had them, but not nearly so much as we expected. Hog prices have been good for the quarter, supplies have held up and sheep, while going off in price, have maintained a gain in numbers. Cattle nave not decreased in receipts so much as was expected. Taken all along the line, we have had good busi ness for the first quarter.” Frank Stryker, secretary of the Livestock exchange, says: "Business has been as good as could lie expected with short runs and we have little to worry about except the coming crop conditions. The livestock men are all praying for a bumper corn crop. Everything from the standpoint of both shipper and commission man de pends on this year’s corn erop.” F. J. Farrington, manager of the John Deere Plow company for the Omaha territory, declared the farm machinery of the country, generally speaking, is badly worn. “Farmers have bought second hand machinery, traded and borrowed until they have worn out the most of the machinery in the country,” he said. "They are beginning to replace the wornout ma chines with new ones. The machinery business is beginning to get better, due largely to this fact.” Farm Loans Paid Off. P. I). Hogan of the Federal Land Ji.-uik declares the general disposition liquidate is manifested in their business. “We have closed loans during the first three months of the present year, amounting to about $8,000,000. as compared with about $11,000,000 during the same period last year,” he said. "This, we think to be a very credl table showing, as a large number of loans were re-written last year and the year before in order to borrow money to pay banks and second mort gagees. "The pressure of hankers and sec ond mortgagees was so great last year that it accounts for the large immlter of loans closed. “Our collections are very good and ihe amount of our past due amortisa tion payments compare favorably with the same period one year ago.” Savings deposits have increased markedly. The report of the Federal Reserve bank for this ‘district shows these increases as follows: Deposits in Shi savings hanks and in savings departments of rommereial banks amounted to $107,992,509 on March 1, an increase of $1,013,947, or 0.9 per cent, over the total on February t and an increase of $5,872,213, or 5.8 per cent, over March 1, 1924. In the num ber of savings accounts 50 Institu Huns reported an increase of 0.7" per cent for the month and an Increase of 2.G per cent for the year. H-iil Business Improves. An int-estlng sidelight on business Conditions in the Omaha territory is contained in the following statement ^ by K. Flynn, general manager of r*$®frn‘lington lines west: “The general trend of business is (Jowly upward. The best-example I < in give of this is the L. L. tonnage handled by the Burlington at its Omaha freight terminal, which shows that during January the Burlington bandied 2 per cent more business than in January last year, and an increase of 5 per cent over the business han dled in December. In February, while we handled 5 per cent less L. C. L. business than in February last year, we handled an ini rease of 4 per cent over January. "In March, records show there was bundled an Increase of 3 per rent over March of last year, and in addition an increase of 16 per cent over February, in March there Is naturally some In crease in traffic over the previous iiiuiitlis because of tile shipment of spring stocks. It Is, however, din ■ ■ -1 -111 hie that there lias been a slow, ■ idy increase in business handled. Easiness men are feeling their way. Moving cautiously and with precision i cannot help but lay a firm foun 0 .-hi for a strong business activity E Is not a "bullish" activity such as 1 mi i-i .l during the war with Its re (niltant depression, but a hearty, Linens condition that w.ll " ' . ABE MARTIN On Early Discouragements | Durin’ an interest in' conversation at th’ blacksmith shop a few days ago relative t' th’ discouragements that are all too often met with in climbin’ t’ affluence an' distinction, T'ncle Kz rash referred t' th’ awful time Fllmore l’usey. now well-t’-do an’ apparently happy, had tn gittln' a. footin' In life, of his almost unbe lievable triumphs o'er barriers that would cause th' bravest of us t’ turn back. It seems t' begin with, that young Pusey's father wuz a democrat when he might have been a repub lican pustmaster. Often young Pusey wuz thrashed at school fer bein’ a democrat, an it wuz not an unusual thing fer him t’ be detained after school fer that very same reason. Things looked anything but bright t' him, an’ he soon left school, Then fol lowed th’ usual long period in ever’ boy's life, when he loafs around un decided as t' what he'll take up as his life’s work, lie thought some o' be comin’ a republican as a starter, hut' he felt that his principles wuz too dear t' him t’ toss aside fer u gain. Anyhow. f'v° " wuz at that time waitin’ t' be sen tenced, an' prubl.v leu,- ol a cell had not a little t’ do with hisc holdin' tight t' his p'litical convic-| tions. He read a little law an’ he I - grams." Talk on Sociology. Prof. E. Sulllnger *11! epe»k o» "Sociology’’ before the Omaha Phil osophical aociety at t Sunday in rooti 1302 Patteraon building. — ANNOUNCEMENT We cordially invite the public to attend the opening of our New Music Store, the Schmoller & Mueller Annex, Monday, April 6th, located at 119 North 16th Street, just opposite the Postoffice. We carry a representative stock of all the world’s most famous makes of pianos, phonographs, radios, band instruments and general music merchandise, as has been the policy of the Schmoller & Mueller Piano Company since its establishment in the middle west 66 years ago. Special Opening Prices on Pianos and Phonographs New Upright Pianos $265 1 New Grinds I Special Price*— Mahogany. Adam design, $448 r; $75 1 Many other attractive bargains, sold on our Liberal Payment Plan. Schmoller & Mueller Annex 119 North 16th Street—Opposite Pogtoffice America's Largest Exclusive Credit Apparel Store BEDDEO 1415-17 Douglas Street ® . .- -n Take Six Months Mail Orders Promptly Filled to Pay "- " if Necessary Easter Week Is Here— No store in all America offers you the same liberal terms as 1 . ^LT - wSelect Your Lntire Uutnt your name on our books. A r ..dr.,rr,r.“™ on Our Easy Payment Plan— pay for same in easy-to-meet weekly or monthly payments. From hats to footwear, your every apparel Si* months time if you desire necd he most satisfactorily met. Styles of the hour at cash store prices and plenty time to pay for your purchases. Beautiful Coats $1D§0 to $g