The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-02-16
TRADE AND TRAFFIC IN THE CITY.

tnst8G 0ttO NHst ~
~ rNfs e@aEsN
| Tho Present Condition and Future Prospects
!. Z. Of Business.
The Western metropolis Ii undoubtedly the thsrmoIne
ter by which the trade OF the continent s governed As
beats the aurerous pulse in Wall street. SO ourishes or
sIackens the trade and traac and gigantic commercial
Interests of the Onion In order that odf readers may
take In, al one view a. Il wers the condition Of BUSH
n our rcpor0al sIad have been engaged in invessi-
eating matters appertainng 70 tho trade Of the city,
aud below yin b found the result Of their researches
As e busiuSss may DO rated a. dal although there
az May branches Of trade more nourishins than they
were ass year as an instance o. snls' wo may very
properly refer to all u ose xmas Oh paancs WIN" IVA
In tho necessaros Of iifs. aS0s sn0 o''0a' oropS'
groceries, meats. &C.. find ready sale at greatly en-
hanced prices; while silks satinl jswsy and all the
other addsnda Of luxury have compG> vsly Few pur-
ohssers. Labor generally commands . nue. nisner
rate Of compensation than ever before OF actual wan.
there Is comparatively very little. Those able and
willing 70 work In most instances find plenty Of
labor ct enhanced prices. Probably we might
here an exception Of those trades and mechanical
svocauons which depend upon the shipping interests
for their support Ship builders Joiners spar makers
ringers, cauikers, sail Makers boat builders, ship
painters and such like trades find comparatively little
70 DO; while the great building interests afford an
sbupdanS9 Of work % houss carpenters. masons
plas,erer bfsklsysrA naatsl maksrs house painters
roofcrs. &c, 49,
The prices of labor have, since $780, gradually In
creased 90 that now we may consider them 10 have
reached the highest point astainable. II will DO very
easily that whom labor is in great demand those
branches OF business which supply the working classes
n tn tho necessares Of life prosper Such is the
SAT- Of things At present. Grocers, butchers, bakers
ann. A. who supply edibes never had such season
AZ n,os erity tho present; while the trade in dry
= >o5s clio thing, boots and shoes, hats and caps,
i. ra,bes lat Tho only hypothesis on which
this can IS accounted for ia that the nccesssrios
ttbe cbleN snu. I first be procured; while rament,
ahou9s a uacsss.s, is not purchased in such great
quantities as wsuyd ma e brisk the trades we have men,
toned The head Of thee aiy wl be very sure 70 pro-
yido food, rposlpe, for e. oso aepenaen. upon nm;
but he may stop consider wh> 'equisi'oh IS mace
upon him for artcepf extra eionA ing heloe us out
lay or money benetstne grocer thf butcher and tho
baker. While the cyothcr. che shosmaIA and the baOr
are dependent to worry sss extent on his wnims his
lances and the plethora Of his purse. TheAs w no
lime universal s.agnstidn Stn business WielSon
branch OF traffic Is depressed another foirhhes ivn
Of circumstance which may operate adversely with "
gard TO certain branches Of trade IS Invariably sho cause
u prosperity in others ~ present would appear tnat
toe proposed new tari bill Is affecting many branches
Of trade to very great oxten Parties holdfss large
stocksof imported goods in quandsry. The PRO.
posed amended tariff may increase tho duties on |
their articles Of trade and thus, OF coarse,
render them valuable For This reason |
No efforts made In many bspcflns Of bos iness 10
,ect Large sales at present Agin, xpanufscturers Of
domestic goods have to some cysenth engaged in re-
all trades the advanced prices which sxuost every ar
ioe has commanded within the past three Nyesrs have
,reught the manufacturers nto mary6t sllcrs and
his, TO very great extent has injured thcpusincss
,f those who cgtmae,y eBgagef in rete9 trs0ic.
10 ny in word, tho outlook at praeent would
Indicate that prices OF ali necessary commodities VAL
not be iessened during tho coming season. The prBse
aguatien business will doubtless bo-dissipsoed
he spring approaches, aud although the busi-
ness viii not equal that Of last year. il WIN nevArc-
less AFFORD healthy market for nearly ali commo4t-
es- Suhicncd ~ be found Information respecting tAe
principal branches OF trade:-
rins rArER TRADE NJ
This business is somewhat dull owing 10 tbs general
iepressicn The sales OF February however are much
greater than those o the preceding month"; and ths
1ices ere that the spring trade win DO very fair Tho
paper aies are on the increase and prices vary but
little frsn those OF last year A all the eales in this
little II any loss to,he SELLER Ir financial crash should
happen there Is business that will be less Affected BY
IL than this the cash basis which IL conducted
precudes The possibility Of any permanent injury.
HARDwARE AID CUTLERY.
In this branch Of business tho demand for imported
South were heavy purchaser. during last ssason sSs
ys sms"s sssSs ss
, q nss s'' and sssoh.niSs tools and nns cot,
cry: the stock O common cutlery now in tho
s has 81 - 1; ys prices
Ioubsa win enhance them 50 far az relates to al i'm
,ss EaSs h. dsss Who Ssv.
red % western merchants complain that their coilcc
sS' sns os ny s %
NM eSd pftcea range higher than they did at This
1s U~ns % the iucsssssd demand from nc SOUTH
aIpsa AND rxArHM-
~ u ths prsesos time Prices a. general thing, rule
he smt 11ass year There " howsyer aisck ofsupply
% ., aH ~ =. anal
here afS how on hand NOT more than MY thousand
o Ss S =: from ne ,s mg az e
sSsrc ana islY sas:h.x q .hess already sold
Pos.iy nsas 81 cssa rho supE,y fr; r.. home HON.
ssvSS nil;oSs Of oaiie were annually slaughtered IN
sen g: pss ysI not rs
new ana Il more profitable 70 raise stock than 70 sangh
n 49, soS n;9s &c tS ss o But few Sd
Do how being received from me West g oompsred Win
g s ss s S.ssss sw ACRE. Y s q: sssss e
tWsStvslx q twsnsy-seyen cents whereas the. best
cnaty OF materials from that market Y now selling fog
}fom nineteen and half cents 70 twenty Gents per
pound In 1880 che Ars quality Of hides ranged from
wsniy .fosr cents 70 twenty 1--WE cents p pound The
prices during The coming season will doubtless bold
their Owl The demand for leather ~ now greater than
ever before owing the fact that u q used for moro
manufacturing purposes and hence the Upward ten
dency Of the markell Il takes usually whoio year 70
uru The capital invested in the hide trade and hence the
Traders of necessity found among nat cls Of men
who tan afbrd TO lie OF the interest Of Their money
FOR twelve nonths The best quality Of leather Is nov
selling for from thirty two cents TO thirty-three
cents currency, whereas IN 1850 never reached
over twenty centa Tho increased price has been
caused b. tho scarcity OF "hemiock bark and the
higher demands Of tho labor market small deaien arc
now laying in stocks suciens only TO supply the daily
demand Tho proposed tariff viii affect the prices very
materially AZ nearly Ill the leather ussd imported
from foreign oountrea There II prospect Of rsduc
ton IN t price Of leather while wages rule 20 high as at
prescott somc qualities o. material, which before the
sold for fifteen cents pound now cost for tanning
alone froh twelve 10 thirteen csns This Of course
hnf n