Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-01-30
WHOLESALE TRADE

In his recent address before the Board OF
Trade of this city, Mr.. Hugh L. Steele, Presi-
dent Of the Wilmington & Reading Railroad
Co., alluded to the establishment he had
experienced many years ago, in seeing the
entire commerce of the Delaware river
sweep past Wilmington without our people
doing a single thing to prevent it,
A closer examination would have given
him much cause for establishments in affairs
as they exist to-day, Now not only does
the commerce Of the Delaware (what is left
| ofiD sweep past our city, but Il railroad
built in part by Wilmington's money, carries
through our city, past the very doors of our
merchants, almost the entire trade of this
State and the whole Peninsula.
Do we ask why this is, and some retailer
who has never done any more towards be-
coming wholesale merchant than irish he
could be one, says sob its the odious dis
elimination of the Railroad Company, or
some other answers 'People would rather
go to Philadelphia; it is larger city; they
can see greater variety of goods and think
they can get them cheaper
Now let us consider these assertions. Re-
member it is the Peninsular trade, tapped
by the Delaware Railroad Of which we
speak. Docs this road discriminate against
Wilmington? This is an interesting ques-
tion,we have examined with some care, and
we believe we can positively deny that there
is any such discrimination. There is not a
station on this road from which passenger
cannot come to Wilmington fifty cents
cheaper than he can go to Philadelphia. In
regard to freishts it is the same. We know
that the officers of the road have put them
selves to no inconsiderabe trouble to afford
facilities for fruit and other freights reaching
this city, running cars specially for the pur-
purpose so lightly loaded that they did not
pay. at time when they were taxed to the
utmost to meet the demands upon them for
cars to go elsewhere. 1t is not, then, the
fault of the management of the Delaware
Railroad Company that Wilmington does
not get the Peninsular trade, while it offers
country merchants saving of Sl.O0 each
trip, 80 cents each way, by stopping here
and what is of more consequence, gives
them three hours more time here than they
can have in Philadelphia when they wisl
to come up and go back on the same day.
Now let us consider the other objections
philadelphia is larger" True, but store
keepers do not go there to see how large /
city it is ''But they can see greater vari
ETY. of goods and think they can get then
cheaper" This brings us then to the gist o
the matter. Why can they Sc: greater va
riety !? because we have no large wholesal,
stores, where large and varied stock il
kept. Why have we not such stores? "Be
cause they will not be supported; because
we do start them the merchants of the Pc
ninsula will yet think they can buy cheape
in Philadelphia and still go there" is tn
answer made. We answer, how do yo
know they will? If they are mistaken il
the supposition, and can get goods here a
cheaply as in Philadelphia, the advantage
we have already mentioned will bring ther
here. Men are easily convinced that the
can make more money by change, if it b
true.
The business then Of Wilmington il SD
wants this trade is to prepare herself to NEE
its demands, to really sell as low as Phil,
delphia, to keep large and varied stocks, an
to advertise these facts to the people throug
the papers of the Peninsula. Not merel
to advertise but to use personal solicitation
to secure this trade as, Baltim,re is succe
fully doing, and to keep doing SO until a
tention is attracted, and presently men wi
stop here to find if they can do as well hel
as in Philadelphia they will probably the
go on to the latter city to test the matte
and if they find the prices of our merchan
as low as those elsewhere, they will say
time, freight and passage money, by buyir
!. here.
They cannot be convinced of this in
day, nor, possibly, in year, but it can
done by persistence in the course we ha,
indicated, while Wilmington cannot secu
this trade by the course she is now pursuin
in a century.