The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-03-21
IMPORTERS.

| Foreign goods are bought by the importer
lin this wise: a confidential clerk, or member
o the firm, is dispatched to Paris, Lyons or
Manchester, as the case may be once or twice a
year, to purchase fashionable and seasonable
fabrics of the manufacturer; or one of these par
ties reside abroad permanently whose exclu-
sive duty it is to buy and forward goods, at
discretion, or as ordered from home. FIRE.
lquently foreign agent is employed to trans
act the same business, in lieu of one sent out
specially for that purpose. The importer here
in New York sells his goods to the jobber by
the box, piece or case or to the retailer, if he
wishes to purchase by the quantity. Jobbers
often complain that the importer sells directly
to the retailer, in violation, probably, of some
Imaginary right of theirs to victimize the latter
exclusively. The country merchant or re-
taller, finding it necessary to keep on hand an
almost endless assortment of articles, is for the
most part unable to purchase by the box or
whole piece, and therefore patronizes the job
Der. A few of our large firms, such as A. Z.
Stewart & Co., Beck & Co., and Lord & Tay-
lor, are engaged not only in retailing, but also
in importing and jobbing, in fact the former
house does more extensive importing and
ljobbing business than any other in this city.
AMOUNT OF IMPORTS.
The importation of dry goods is regulated,
in general, by the laws of supply and demand;
but taken year by year is far from being uni
form as respects amount. For the first ten
months of 1852, the estimated value of import
ed dry goods to this port was So, 600 O0U; for
the corresponding period of 1858, $32,O0O,000;
for the same of 1854, S76,o0O,0O0, and for the
same of 1856, $57,OOO,OO0. The falling off
during the past year was doubtless consequent
upon the excess of importations for the previ-
GUS years.
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE DRY GOODS TRADE.
Twenty years ago, when this branch of busi-
ness was more humble in its pretensions, Pearl
and Beaver streets furnished all the requisite
facilities for importers and jobbers. Since that
time the latter have been gradually leaving
their old quarters. and having traversed South,
William Pine and Cedar streets, have at last
intrenched themselves on the west side of
BIO dway. The comparatively small and din
gy warehouses of quarter century since are
regarded as incompatible with the present ex-
tent and dignity of the trade. Nothing less
than marble and brown stone can realize the
exalted notions of to-day; and the spacious
and elegant structures erected within few
years past between Liberty and Chambers
street are at once an index of the magnitude
of our CO nmercal transactions, and mark of
the general progress of the age. Most of the
importing houses are now located in Broad
and Beaver streets, Exchange Place and the
lower part of Broadway. The retail trade is
scattered all about the city, but large portion
of it is concentrated in Broadway, Canal,
Grand and Blocker streets and the Eighth
Avenue.
From all this the reader may perhaps infer
it is not herculean task to get credit in New
York-at least among dry goods jobbers, and
In 10 fha = ha
docs. The fact is there is so much competi-
ltion in the trade, and such an excessive anxiety
Ito swell the amount of sales, that great risks
are taken with astonishing recklessness.
THE RENT PAID BY JoBBERs.
An impression has long been current among
lout-of-town buyers, that jobbers on Broadway
are compelled to charge extra prices for their
goods on account of being under enormous
, rents. 1t is no more than just to say to them
that such an idea has little foundation in fact.
The pecuniary altitude of rent there is indeed
Ifrightful, but settlers look to proportionate
increase of custom, to enable them to meet
such extra expenditure, rather than to exhor-
lbitant prices. The sums for which the new
/. warehouses west Of Broadway are let, seem
: likewise almost apochryphical, and the same
Isuspicion might lie with nearly equal prooa-
bliIy against their occupants Inc rent palo
by iobbers-occapying as they do, with very
few exceptions, the ground floor and for the
whole building-ranges from about $1,000 ic
elO 600 per annum-a figure, which, twenty
= Years AGO would have been thought totally ru.
inous.
THE BUSINESS SEASON.
Buyers from the far West, South and South
west, "begin to make their appearance in The
MARKET about the middle of January. The
distance to which goods are to be sent, ha'