, 1873-07-16
What Tho Dry Goods Merchants and
Notions Dealers Think Of II.
As d Glass They VIII Not Be Materi-
ally Affected by the Change
A Prominent Dealer Thinks
the Low Will Work In
jury to Chicago.
The Season Too Dull to Make
Amy Change Particularly
Noticeable.

TnE TRIBUNE hos heretofore given expression
10 tho opinions entertained by the loading job
bors in heavy goods Of tho workings Of tho now
freight tnrifEs, 80 far ns thoir individual and
general interests were affected. Yesterday a
reporter was sont round to the loading dry goods
and notions jobbors for tho purpose Of aRcor-
tanning from thotn tho offoct upon thoir trado Of
tho now ordor Of things. aonoralizod, their
opinions would bo someshing Of this kind:
Under any oiroumstances, eupposing tho Inv
won't into oYoct at the busiest season Of tho yoar,
1t would tako sovoral months boforo our whole
ralo customers began to 1nd out how tho new
thrift affooted thoir shipments from Chicago;
and until they find out, Of course, no roccive no
intimAt!on. Taen again, tho additional freights
npon dry gools would bo worry much loss thRn
tho hoavier merchandise OF tho grocers and
hardware doa1crs. Tho fact il, flint wo aro now
In tho dullcst Inrt Of the season, md that
tho shipments wo mako are, while nn-
merically largo, gnnntitativoy small. Dis
tributod among individuals, therefore,
The difference In freight ia not folt,
when the old and now syatoms arc compared.
Practically, therefore. NC haye not Ind an OPP
portunity to compare them but, from tho char
ncter Of our goods, VIC suppose that tho chnngo
will not materially ntfoct US, II It docs at all.
Mr. Hale, Of tho large md influential house OF
Hau,lin, Hale i Co., was interviewed, among
others, and his remarks arc interesting. He
sayH: NY experience as d merchant and rail-
road man loud mo to tho same conolu-
etons with regard TO- the aub1eott,
nascs law works badly. Tho loss Legislative
Interference in aueh matsera tho better. havo
not investigated tho present case worry closely,
hut hear from all quarters enough complaint
~ 1r<-{re f1@df Inv hnT 70
Chicago. If the intention Of it's framcrs was to
bnnodt Toledo aud Cincinnati, they could not
have dono botter than thoy did; but Il they
@ Hs9a @ to hno Snea oa9ss9 question ~h0h0r
Heportor-Doea this remark apply to your own
trade?
Mr. lido -Gonorally, yes. As yct, however,
d1 N not Ea e90 tpy tpn,9ope s9 oog M 1f to ro
froights shifted round In Bnol, manner that wo
can toll what tho now directions nro. It will talso
aome timo for our customers to determine for
themselvea. What they will bo In tho end, I
noporter-What is your opinion on that SUBJ
Mr. Halo-That tho now Inv will DO injurious
to Chicago.
neporlar-1n what especial way?
n1r. Hale--Our customers will aond directly
to Now York, and tako advantage Of ditoot
shipments through from New. York, aud
tho goods will not touch Chicago.
better criterion Of tho operation Of tho law
tl,au ours. The dry goods iobbers will find the
change Of hardly any importance, for the effoot
upon our customers will be very slight indood,--
hardly worth mentioning, in fact. Tho gonoral
and ultimate OBJECT will 30 and nuat be injurioua
10 tho city.
Mr, Hale-A Thousand dollars worth Of dry
'goods would weigh only from 800 to 400 pounda,
but the same value in sugar would DO, at 10
.centa pound, 10000 poundsl
Roportor-Vory palpably, them the grooera arc
the heaviest toserB, 80 to Bpcak.
htr, IIalo-Oh, yos our trnde does not involve
:auch losses.
shlo to arrive at conclusion upon tho effoct
upon your traao2
lii. Hsie-Wo shall be able to judge bettor in
. soptombor or October. Our daily aales then
will DO equal to our wookly sales now.
MIR. L. z. Letter, OF tho frm Of Field, Letter
l. Co., thought that 80 far as tho firm WAS con-
;cnrnsd, there was no indication ut present OF o
falling OF in their Wholesale trade through the
workings of the new sYstan1. But It waH plain,
Ito said that no one class Of mon could recoivoe
my injury without its bning folt by tho roat Of
the community. II, therefore, any jobbers in
tho grocery or hardware business, or in any
,otbor--tle farmers, for iuBtnnce,-werc injured
by the new law, it was injurious to tho wholo
,cot1l1nunity.
"Havo you Ind any complaints ?" asked tho
soportor.,
season was now past for doing very much buai-
neHs, and would ronain dull until the fall. The
firm was in receipt Of numerous orders, from
400 to COO daily, but they wore for small amounts
Of the now tariff would bo, tho orders being toe
light to render any change noticeable.
Rcporter-Do you anticipate any marked
change among your % customers t& & during the full
hr. Loitor-oh, no. We havo always boon got
ting great deal Of trade whore the freight waB
largely against us. We have been nhlo to COM
pete with st. Louis whero the difference in
freight has boon immensely in favor OF Tint
city.-sonlotines third Of shRt it ia from Chi.
cago.
Reporter is that7
Mr.. Lcitor-One of tho reasona is that ye
koep worry much larger line OF goods.
Reporter-Then you think that the eRme rea.
Sons that preserve your trade against tho com
petition Of st. Louis will still hold even Bhouli
Tho n freight DO little more against you thar
liz. Lciter-1t is difficult to tell what tht
effect Of tho now law will be- 1t will DO son1s
time before my Of us will be in posltion tt
toll with certainty. Whom tie morohant come.
to make up his accounts ho will tlon begin tt
compare tho rates of transportation With villa
they wore boforo, and then he will begin to looL
round lin and figure up which will pay him bos
after tho fail season.
Roporter-Then you 300 no Immediate trouble
ahead
Mr. Leitor--so far aa our trade alone Ia con
-ornod, the difference in freight must DO YER,
largely against uB to intorfero with our trade
Why, We sell goods Of g point on the Missour
Rivor whore tho freight is four timos creator
thnn from 81. Louis.
Reporter-What do yon think OF tho modilca
tion Of the law by which tho railroads are por
mitted to make concessions to largo shippors
Mr. Leitor-Of course, it will give the adyan
kago to the largest dealorB
In the course Of conversation, which turnei
apon tho farmers aud tue probable results t.
fthom, l1r. Letter thought they had acted incou
aderately. Thoy had laden themselves wltl
dabs to secure ,ail5oada and had. u addition t,
competition. "Wo must do ns the farme1
would hnyo us. and, it they, aro dihsatladoa,
suppose they can reroal tho law" said no.
Mr. simoon Farwoll, Of tho firm Of ]. V. Tar
vol II Co., waa callol upon. Ito Haid ho Ind no
paid worry much attention to tho mattor, but dit
not soo exactly how tho law WIS going to llur
tho whole dry goods trado. lie had returned
from Stirling only day or two ago, a.ltl under
stood that tho ilouring-milla in that diatrIc
Wfnl In cnmnhl1nH tn not n,