Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-18
THE FALL TRADE.
Eastern Dry Goods JObbers Very eau
tiOus in heir Dealings with n
SOuth-Fears as TO the Political SItu-
Rffon-
New York Time4. Sent. "a.

New York Times, Sept. IA.
The leading dry goods jobbers all say
that they have never lone a more profitable
and healthy business than they are doing
now. One of the very largest of them re-
marked to the writer the other day, "There
is only N class of my customers who
have, as yet, not put in an appearance this
season; and, what is more, | have no de-
sire to see them. l allude to the ~specula-
tors" A few jobbers say that they might
have sold more goods if they had been will
ling to give long credit, but they are ex-
c~eptions to the rule. Still, such houses as
Stewards, Clafin's, Lord & Taylor's, and
others claim that their business is equal
to that of last year. Mr.. Stewart
dispatched from bis retail store during last
month 10000 more packages and parcels
than he had ever sent out before in the
month of August, an undue proportion of
these sales going into the country. There
is one thing-dry goods are very low in
price. Silks are ten per cent. cheaper than
they were a year ago. Prints, which last
year fetched eighteen cents a yard, Mr..
Stewart is now retailing at n shilling a
yard. The average reduction Of prices in
dry goods all around is fully twenty per
cent. There is a falling of of from ten to
fifteen per cent. in the Importation of
European dry goods for the eight months
ending the 3lst of August last, as against
the corresponding eight months of 1873.
This is, to a certain extent, owing
to tie continuous strides in Ameri-
can manufacture. Take such fab
RIGS as delaines, for instance. Before the
war only the cheapest grades of American
delaines could find a market in New York.
Now the importation from England has
virtually ceased. 1t is only the highest
grades of print goods that pay for importa-
ton. As to sheetingS and shirtings, they
have been so improved that this country is
keeping up a rapid and increasing competi-
tion with Great Britain in the markets of
Australia. Indeed, so great is the prefer
ence among Austrian buyers for American
cotton goods that some British exporters
have resorted to the ~disreputable expedient
of putting American marks on their own
goods before shipping them to Australia.
Some of the leading iObbers consider that
the c~onsignments If silk 90 DCs 10 this coun-
try this season are of a superior manufac-
ture. Certainly there is a grade OF silks in
the market heavier and richer than have
ever been imported before. The
only important branch of the dry goods
trade which appears to be less active than
others is that in domestic wooden goods.
This is attributable 10 the fact that manu-
~facturers are rather overloaded with stocks.
Indeed, there is a talk of some of the mill
owners shutting down for a while, till con-
sumption has worked off stocks a little.
The jobbeIs in imported wooden goods and
hosiery say that they are doing a fair,
healthy trade. Altogether the dry goods
business is in a prosperous condition, and
with a prospect of a good fall and winter
trade. Mr.. Claflin Disseminated as follows
as to the districts in which trade is best:
First, the West; second, the East; third,
the Southwest; fourth the South. He saws
that jobbers are very cautiOus-more so than
eyer-in their dealings with the South on
account of the great uncertainty of the
political situation.