The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-12-30


Colonel Sidney d. Maxwell, Superintend-
ent of the Chamber of Commerce, in sum-
ming up his annual report to the Chamber
says:
Although the figures show that the bust
ness of the city has been encouragingly
maintained, when measured by the only
true standard, which is quantity, as indi-
Gated by packages, pounds yards &C., the
aggregate values, on account of the material
shrinkage in prices which prevailed during
much of the year, falls decidedly below
1S76-77. According to the tables which ap-
pear elsewhere, the total approximate aggre-
gate value of the receipts of merchandise,
not embracing whisky, for reasons to be ex-
planned hereafter, nor general merchandise
Which is less specific than the remainder of
articles reported, was $112 708 l72, in COM
parison wi h7fi25 OH, 277 in 1S76-77, and the
shipments $lO7 ia, ,846. compared with $113,-
421 ,2O5. Including whisky, the receipts ag-
gregated Sl19,5 535, l99, in comparison with
$143, S51 036, but of this reduction over $10,-
900, 900 are accounted for by reason of the
dropping from the imports of all whisky
which appears in the returns of the revenue
officers for the County of Hamilton, part
of which was previously embraced. and so
much of the Sixth Kentucky District Gov
lllS tOlly NC' do iCSltlLudtSl w tLlo
city.
Whatever reasons may have existed in
other years for the incorporation of this
particular part of the whisky, the business
absorption by the city of the districts ad-
jacent, and the close relation which now
largely exists between the distiller and rec
tifier, render it desirable that this product
should now be placed on plane with other
industries in the matter of statistics, by
embracing in the lists only such spirits
among the receipts as are really produced
beyond the Legitimate business boundaries
of the city. In the exports in which
whisky remains unchanged as to method of
reporting, the figures show as near as posi-
BILE the actual quantity which went out,
both of our local production and that
which is received here from other districts.
The aggregate approximate value of ship
ments, save of general merchandise, was
1925, 1861, 246, compared with $132, 73l 500 in
1S76-77. BY embracing the figures as to
general merchandise, which comprises such
articles as have no separate place in our
statistics, and which in the very nature of
the case must be more largely approx
NATIVE Than i'll specific commodities, the
total approximate aggregate value of the
imports is shown to have been 1928, 237, 157,
in comparison with $3.50, 1872, $40 in the pre-
vious year, and the exports $183, 209, ,646, in
comparison with $l91 ,486 S31 in 1S76-77.
Such are some of the main features of the
years work, as revealed by or deduced
from, the detailed review of individual
commodities, which follows this summary
of our business. There is much in the sur
vey 10 afford encouragement to the well
wishers of Cincinnati. The general aspects
which the commercial and industrial inter-
ests of the city present, are certainly favora-
Bile. The main departments of our business
have been we'll maintained, while some of
them have shown decided progress CinCin-
natl, like other communities has sustained
| losses, but her interests are not crippled.
| Her merchants and manufacturers, during
the five years of gravitation to nominal
prices, have been moved by desire to
maintain their position and provide for
their usefulness in the future rather than
to enlarge the scope of their business for
the time being and in doing so they have
prepared themselves to enter upon
the enjoyment of improved times,
with capacity to fully use the ad-
vantages which will be presented. Our
river interests were never in more encour-
aging state of usefulness. Our railroads are
in better condition, and under good man
agement The completion, long delayed, OF
the Cincinnati Southern Railroad is near at
hand, opening up to us opportunities OF
commercial and industrial expansion which
will only be limited by the enterprise we
use to secure its enjoyment. On the natu-
raj line from the South and Southwest to
the East and Northeast, and from the South
Atlantic and Gulf ports to the North and
Northwest, this city promises, in the near
future, to be on great National thorough
fare with capacity to make the most of the
situation. These through as well as local
and are to furnish, are being supplemented
by the narrow-gauge railways, which are
bringing us each month INTO more intimate
relations with the less remote districts. To
these purely business features Of this pc
riod are to be added those of an education
al nature, which also have commercial as