The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-11
NEW YORK JOBBING TRADE
IMPORTS OF PROMINENT MERCHANTS TO Re-
GAIN THE VANTAGE LOST By THIS CITY SINCE


GAIN THE VANTAGE LOST By THIS CITY SINCE
THE WAR.
Yesterday afternoon . meeting took place az tho
Office OF the New York Mercantile Bureau, No 29l
Broadway, in which the members OF tho Bureau
crrcd with hotel men Of she city upon the subject OF
reduction IN charges TO country merchants stopping
for purposes Of trade Among the merchants present
were Messrs H X fhurber, ID. y. Austin r. H. Leg
gctI J. y. Henry, Daniel C. Robbins, T. F.. Alep y
Marovern. G. y. Cook G. H. Powers and i. a. Bates
on The hotel men there were but three present:-Mr
swceny, Of Sweeny's Hotel; Mr. Reverb, of tho Nor
chants HOTEL and Mr.. p. French, OF Frcnch's Hotel.
Mr. r. p. Austin, Presiden. Of the Bureau, opened
the meeting with description OF the organization
known as Ihe Now York Mercantile Bureau and the
purposes ~ had In view. He said attempt to
the obbng trade Of the city Tor She protection
their business and the genera! mercantile interests
OF New YORK Heretofore there had been no unity
OF ac'Ion, and any drawbacks occurred in any par
ucular channel Of trade the merchants had not been
position Tor elective action Since the great panic
III New York interior cities have made arrangements
with railroad mpancs 10 aud transmit goods
for much less cost than possible for merchants
In large interior towns TO ship them from New ork
The result was that powerful firms the large interior
cities shipped all the goods consumed In the country
through their own hands, and tho city OF New YORK
had great portion OF lis jobblng trade In hopes
of recovering this = few Of The prominent Jobbng
merchants OF this city had organized tho Now YORK
Mercantile Bureau, tor combined efforts TO induce the
railroad companies cquazc their rates of freight 10
all interior points, both large and small They thought
these companies had disseminated against Ibe inter
OF New York in lavor OF other large distributing
points by such action tho railroads had injured
themselves we'll rs the merchants ana the city ns
large. The press OF this city had not taken that
amount OF interest in tho mercantile welfare OF New
York that the press Of other places had IN their own
particular local trade From the year lS2o 70 the
year 1850 tho water way 10 the Hudson gave power
ful advantage to this city IN the matter OF Interior
trade. But with the increase OF railroads New York
compelled 10 enter into competition with all other
growing centres OF trade. There no royal road 10
commerce any moro than thorc is to Individual weahi
and Nrw York take jealous care OF her own
interests IL che wishes 10 MAINTAIN her former prestige
Mr.. H. x. rHURpnK.
Of the firm OF H. X. II +. B. Tnurbcr 4 Co., sad Tho
efforts OF tho Bureau entirely for the interests o:
tho city oil New York High local rates OF height and
reduced rates TO particular points had gwen great
advantage 10 large concerns IN the interior. Tho
Bureau since It's organization had detained a PROMISE
IRON The New York Central and the Eric roads
to reduce fares somewhat TO merchants who came TO
New Y ork from the country. This the companies had
already fulfilled 1t yet remained TO procure IKE re,
dpctons Ia local rates oil freight against the special
Acs which were given 10 such points as Syracuse,
Buffalo, Rochester and Utica The Bureau wished 10
go step further, 500 II hotc! men IN New York
would with the merchants to give AL idea 10
the trade that Trey could come to New York and live
in good houses At moderate prices AT previous meet
nG Two hotels had promised TO reduce their charges to
interior merchants and the speaker hoped number OF
others would do the same. New York mas the repn'a
ton of beng most expensive place TO visit or live
in, and It had been urged TO country merchants that
the cost OF fare and OF stopping III this city would not
obtained. BY pulling together inform the people
that they mere, and live here and buy goods
here at much less cost than they have been told Only
by such means We bring trade TO New York as We
used 10 do.
several other gentlemen expressed
FURTHER OPINIONS UroS THE SUBJECT.
Mr.. u. G. Robbins, OF the hrm of Mckesson Rob-
bins drug dealers SAID the Jobbng trade had changed
extensively since tho beginning Of the civil war lilo
accounted for by the tact mat previous 10 the year
1850 The busness Of the country done largely upon
credit New York better able 10 give credit thaa
fhare Int The shn nins adj
had changed tins entirely. There was no matter IN
New York which deserved so much attention and
ce,vcd so little IN comparison. Fifty years
chants sold goods upon six months credit; now they
give but thirty or IN some instances sixty days In
advised the merchants TO join IN building one or TWO
first class hotels and run them upon mercantile princ-
pies Tor tho benefit OF the country trade.
Mr. John f. Henry said that goods were shipped 10
Chicago Tor one-thrd what the interior towns the
West were obliged TO pay for freight He advised
operation OF merchants hotel and others in ask
ing The railroad companies lower their rates OF iarc
and freight between New York and interior towns
Mr. Austin again addressed the meeting, and said the
hotel keepers should for their interests take the
view Of this subject the merchants The latter
do not expect 70 make large profits at present. The
was going 10 be close fight for two three years
come The city OF New York had been too liberia and
begin TO take of herself As instance
OF what tho railroads could do, Mr. Austin cited that
some time ago Commodore Vanderbilt had thought
best Tor the interests OF his road TO unite
with Western routes upon low rate of
freight upon certain classes Of goods TO dis
tant centres Of trade. After little slmc the injury
this arrangement did to tho business OF this city bc
came apparent and Mr.. Vanderbilt withdrew from his
pact The reaction at once set In, and New York.
which was losing It's grain shipments to Boston, Phla-
dclpha and Baltimore soon received moro corn from
the West than all those ctos together
Mr.. Cook, OF Whitney, Cook Co., returning TO the
subject Of the hotels SAID he had called upon tho pro-
pretors OF several OF them. who had said that any
other time they would gladly cooperate. but in the
centennial season their houses always full Of
guests and they could not afford make reductions in
favor OF any class At present
motion from Mr.. Thurber, the effect that after
further consultation with hotel mon the Bureau would
issue circulars the interior merchants setting forth
the list OF hotels ia which they might for
expense, was unanimously passed The meeting Shcn
I'D