The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-08
BALTIMORE's TRADE.
SHOE AND LEATHER DINNER-THE NATURAL
ADVANTAGES OF THE MONUMENTAL CITY IN
TRADE WITH THE WEST.
fBY TELEGRAPH 70 THE HERALD


ADVANTAGES OF THE MONUMENTAL CITY IN
TRADE WITH THE WEST.
(BY TELEGRAPH 70 THE HERALD.
BALTIMORE. Jan. :. 1879.
The Baltimore Shoe and Leather Board of Trade
held its annual banquet at the Carroton Hotel last
night. at which nearly one hundred representative
merchants. manufacturers and capitalists were as
sembled. The tables beautifully adorned and
q superb bill of fare served. full orchestra was
present After the viands and choice wines had been
discussed II. Clay Smith made address. reviewing
deliberately the manufacturing and commercial inter-
ests of Baltimore and predicting healthy and steady
growth in the material prosperity of the city. He
advocated the exemption of plant .and machinery
for manufacturing purposes from local taxa
ton in order to encourage manufacturing
interests. Speaking Of the shoe and leather trade he
said The best leather tanned to-day is
Baltimore oak-tanned leather and this can be had
here without freight or other expenses incurred in
handling There was exported to England and Ger
many the 1878 about fifteen Thousand sides OF
this leather valued at $4,000 and there is every in
dcation of large increase in the export OF leather
from this port in 1879, the year having opened
with quite large European demand. The amount
of oak ana hemlock leather received in Balti-
more for the year 1878 100000 sides. value
S3.250000; the light stock. calf skins. upper and
finished stock s Of all kinds $4,000 green sa Ts
estimated value of all business done in hides leather
and skins Of all descriptions for the year 1878 Was
S5,375 900. which Is about the same amount Us was
done in 1877. The very high duty on leather in
France has almost prohibited its mpor aton; but il
the contemplated treaty or conmcrce between this
country and France is effected the present duty Will
be decreased to make, without doubt. . large
demand for our Baltimore oak tanned leather.
A LARGE INTEREST.
The number Of firms engaged i'll the manufacture
of boots and shoes in this city Is twentynine The
number of operatives employed i'll the factories Will
approximate 1000 About four-fifths of the shoes
manufactured in this city are made oy machinery.
salers and retailers, $S000.O00; sales Of manu-
facturers 000 sales of rubber boots and shoes
81 600; sales at auction, 81 900 900; sales OF hides
and leather $5.OO00OO; making grand total Of
$21.000.0O0.
BALrIMoRE's NATURAL ADVANTAGES.
Mayor Latrobe, in the course of his speech. said:
"Gradually has the city grown, until 1t has
become one of the CHER commercial centres OF
the country Nature has certainly done much
for us. Situated the Patapsco, at the head
the great cities Of the West than other Atlantic
CITY, With all the vast capital OF New York her ner
chants cannot the natural facilities given
us by our closer proximity to the West. The differ
distances arctic Chicago, 152 miles; ST. Louis 210;
Louisville, 246; Cincinnati 24O; Pittsburg, 1O4. We
have therefore only to avail ourselves OF these natural
advantages to insure more prosperous future. Our
city liz steadily progressing and although at times the
business of one year. owing to some temporary cause,
may be less than that Of the year preceding, the
check is recovered and the trade Of the city
tnues to advance We can realize this by looking
back for decade. In 1885, ut the close OF the war
the exports Of grain amounted to 161 6G bushels in
1877 the exports increased to % bushels. and
in 1878 to 81, ,239 bushels
Speeches were also made by James Hodges Enoch
Pratt Isaac s. George and Frank Norcross and about
midnight the company adjourned.