The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-08-28
THE FALL TRADE.

The month of Auguss is now near its close,
and we shall soon have back in town the |
great majority of the people who have been |
spending the summer in the country. The
most frequented watering places will be de-
serted in the course of the next few weeks,
and the incoming trains will be loaded with
returning citizens from now until the mid
die of September. An increasing number Of
families of wealth may protract their stay
in the country until the trees have shed
their leaves, and in places like heroxj for
instance, the gayest and most fashioiiable
month is undoubtedly September but at
the end of August the vacation of most peo-
pie is over, and the workers of the city have
all resumed their routine of labor before
September is far advanced.
The prospects are that the trade of the au-
tumn will be active enough to engage the
energies of all our men of business, and 10
keep the labor market in a condition favor
able to the employed. There is no longer
any doubt that we shall have an unexam-
pied wheat harvest this year, and of grain
generally the yield will be up to its highest
point in the past. The wheat crop will
probably exceed in amount 45Ob 10000
bushels, and therefore our surplus for export
will be about 2OO,0OO,OOO bushels. How
much Of this surplus Europe will want at
fair prices is question now much discussed
on the Corn Exchange, and it is one in
which the farmers have very lively inter
est.
The average European crop may not be
so heavy as it was expected to be at one
time, but it is hard to see how there can be
any demand either at home or from abroad
which will prevent unusually low prices for
grain this fall. The crop of cotton also
promises to exceed in total the yield for las.
year. The estimates of the production put
it at over six million of bales, which will
be by far the largest crop we have ever
known.
II is manifest, therefore, that the railroads
will be taxed 10 their utmost limit 10 furnish
transportation for the crops the coming fall
and winter, and that our export trade will
De on gigantic scale. ii the prices OF grain
are low, though the farmers may suffer, the
reduced cost Of bread will rebound to the
benefit Of other classes Of laborers, and the
enormous bulk of transactions will make
the market exceptionally busy.
Since prices declined in the spring after
the excitement and initiation of last fall the
general merchandise markets have been in
healthy and therefore hopeful condition.
II this state Of things continues through tue
year, trade will 60 on improving and there
will be no doubt that our mercantile pros
perity is on a substantial basis. That is, the
normal working Of the law of supply aud
demand will set us all right. But already
there are signs Of great effort on the part
of speculatOrs To get up another excitement
which would prove seriously injurious to le-
: gftinlate dealers.
There is nothing to justify high prices.
All the great commodities are in full supply
and il they are kept at the prices the de-
mand for them would naturally fix, they
{ would be wanted in liberal measure for con-
{ sumption, and there will be a fair profit all
around. But if these SPECTATORS succeed in
their attempts, demand win receive a check
and the inevitable reaction will set in.--N
i. Sun.