The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-14
FURNITURE.


The following is from the advance sheets
of the annual report by Colonel Sidney d.
Maxwell. Superintendent Of the Chamber
OF Commerce: ....
The furniture business of Cincinnati,
for the commercial wear, shows
an encouraging increase. The ag-
gregate production of furniture, in
Guiding chair backs and frames, for the
calendar year of 1873, according to the
figures OF Secretary Blackburn, OF the
Board of Trade Of Cincinnati, was $6, 63l,-
337, to produce which 3,S12 hands were em-
ployed. But in almost all walks OF pro-
ductiOn, there has been material stimula-
ton since the 1st of January, so that t"r
the commercial year II is estimated the in
crease in the value of production has been
Is per ceni. over the preceding year. :.
The leading position which Cincinnati
holds among the furniture-produclng cities
is well recognized and the scope Of her dis
tribution is known to be wide. vet few are
aware how she is steadily extending the
area of her usefulness. Not only is our
furniture generally distributed throughout
the Eastern and Southern States, and to
some extent On the West, but important
trade is being bnilt up in the Territories.
Larger quantities than usual have been
sent during the year to the Pacific sloDe
while considerable Cincinnati furniture has
gone to Great Britain. 1t seems probable
that Europe may be liberal customer for
the furniture Of this city, If prices can be
kept down so as to make it pecuniary IN
ducement The cost of materials, with the
exception of iron manufactures, which
have advanced ten to fifteen per cent, re-
mains substantially unchanged.
Though tendency to higher prices has
shown itself in some other departments OF
production, this has not been witnessed in
furniture, staple articles now being pur-
chasable at as low rates as ever in the his
tory of the trade. The general average
nrice for the year has probably been slight
| lv below the previous year In the general
character of the styles there has not been
much change from the preceding year. The
! favor with which the furniture of Queen
Anne's period was received has become still
more marked during the past year. There
is growing tendency TO more ornamental
lion, especially in the shape of wood carv-
ing, which now more or less appears on
nearly all the hetter grades of furniture.
Japanese ornamentation, in various forms,
is found on many pieces contributing its
share to the more complete bl0tting out OF
the old styles which formerly adorned our
dwellings
The graceful forms, tasteful designs and
decorations OF the furniture OF to-day are
notable features of the furniture business,
and show wat complete revolution the
past few years have brought and what prog
ress has been made in the household arts.
| Many pieces of furniture now made are re-
allv works of art, beautiful to the eye, ele-
waiting to the taste, and contributing as
much to the pleasure OF cultivated mind
as the pictures which adOrn the walls. The
changes, too, have been consummated with
out taking the furniture beyond the reach
of people of moderate circumstances or
even the poor, for in the lowest priced fur
niture the new era, inaugurated by bet
| ter taste, has impressed itself with pow
er little below what has been witnessed in
the better grades There certainly never
was q time when in furniture as much real
beauty was combined with usefulness for
the outlay demanded.
| A set of beautiful bedroom furniture
consisting of bed. dressing case, washstand,
and two or three chairs, of the latest de-
signs, can now be purchased for $3.50, and a
good set for $780, How long these low
| prices may be maintained no one can say
| Iron has advanced, and hard lumber, mir
ror plates and marble have by no means set
tied prices, and labor is restless. Profits
are so slender that no considerable cost can
be added to production without eventually
affecting the prices of the manufactured
article with whatever results may follow
the change. While this is true concerning
the future, the early effects of the great
awakening in business does not necessarily
at once enlarge the profits of manufactur-
ing, for while the pressure for increased
prices for that which enters into the cost of
production NAV come from multitude Of
sources, there is resistance to advance in
manufactured goods which can not at once
be overcome.
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