The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-07-26
80 - =
it Is eestainl better to await fafthfr developfrhs
than sosaecide at once hastily, and, perhsi1, nn~
Justly, lbecaase gnoranty. 81 sF

=
The extensive preparations that are now making,
preliminary to the opening of the Fall trade, are
best indicated by comparison of the imports,
through the port of New York alone, since the
first day of January for the present year, with the
imports during the corresponding period for the
two preceding years. In 1857, which all will
recollect as being year of remarkable commercial
activity the value of foreign goods entered at the
New York Custom-House up to July 10th, was es-
timated at one hundred and thirty-three millions
of dollars In 1853, when business was depressed
by the financial panic which commenced in the
fall of 1851 and eliminated during the spring OF
the year following the imports for similar length
of time were rather less than sixty-seven millions
and a quarter of dollars; whilst for the present
wear up 10 the close of last week, the imports have
been set down at a little over one hundred and
thirty-eight millions of dollars. In previous es-
innate made by us some six weeks ago, we as
sumed that the aggregate valne Of the imports, re-
ceived through the port of New York, for the
six months ending ON the Both of June would
reach one hundred and twenty-five millions of
dollars. Admitting that the imports for the two
subsequent weeks averaged about six millions and
half of dollars, which may, in fact, be said to
have been the case, it will be seen thai the state
ment which We then made has been fully confirmed
by the result But Il is not in foreign commodities
alone that our old commercial ardor has reasserted
ITSELF While for the first six months of the present
year we have imported foreign fabrics to double
the amount we drew from abroad during the cor
responding period in 1858, and to the extent of
three millions in excess of the imports of 1857, there
has also grown up largely increased demand Tor
articles of domestic manufacture, as was proven by
the active competition which showed itself recently
at the Boston Trade Sales where certain styles OF
goods were eagerly sought after, and
where for all of the various kinds that
were offered under the auctioneers hammer, fair
prices were obtained. Again, there are
other causes at work in regard 10 articles that are
the products of foreign looms and workshops,
which will tend to increase the supply. vast
quantity of goods has already been sent to this
country by the makers themselves on consign-
ment and to the articles already sent it ig well
understood that considerable addition will be
made during the course of the present season. We
may, therefore, reasonably calculate upon there
being not only heavy stocks of goods inviting the
attention of country merchants at all the chic
commercial centres, but that the variety will bt
great, and that prices will rule comparatively low
In this city our merchants have not shown them
selves insensbe to these facts, nor have they beer
backward in taking advantage of the opportunity
thus afforded them, and from the purchases the!
have already made, and from the extent of the or
ders they have sent out, we may safely assert tina
more active exertons have been made, and are still
making, to render the stock of fall goods boti
Foreign and Domestic, more worthy of the atten
ton of Western and Southern purchasers than ha
ever been the case before II is evident that tn
stimulus of competition has infused new energ,
into all branches of trade in this city and that
men of business generally, are beginning 10 under
stand, and to fairly appreciate, the advantages G
their geographical position; the facilities they pos
sess for commanding fair proportion of the trad
with the INTERIOR and the means whereby tina
trade is to be obtained and secured. Until latterl
there a smaller amount of advertising done il
this city, than in any other city of the Union o
equal population. In Cincinnati, Boston, st
Louis, and New Orleans, either of which contains
a smaller number of inhabitants than Baltimore
the energy displayed by the merchants residing
there, ifjudged by the extent to which they KEEP
the public Informed of the commodities they
offered for SALE certainly exceeded tina
which was exhibited here Something of the old
fashioned mauUais honte deferred our business mel
from publicly calling attention TO the excellence
and variety of their wares. They were conten
that customers should seek them, rather thai
that they themselves should 90 out of thei
usual track to seek customers. Fortunately, they
have begun, like LOUIS NAPOLEON, Ito comprehend
"their epoch" and to understand that, in an ag
of progress, it is necessary that they SHOULD
gauge their movements by those of Others, if they
would not be left in the rear; and that if the,
desire to achieve a triumphant success, they mus
strive, by increasing their pace, to outstrip al
competitors. 1t is certainly gratifying to know
that at this time merchants are no
only actively engaged in extending their trad
in various directions, but are prepared t
offer to purchasers from the interior every varet
of manufactured goods, and all articles that ente
into domestic consumption upon quite as goo,
terms as they can be had elsewhere; whilst, il
many instances, the saving in the cost of trans
portation alone will be found to amount annual
to considerable sum. ...