The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-04-11
DRUGS


Mr.. d c. Robbins. a member OF the New
ofk chamber OF commerce. has lust pre-
pared an important review of The drug
trade tor lSS2. Mr., Robbins states: The
dfug trade Tor the year ISIS, MS cOmpur,d
wlth previous years, presents some remark
aole features. The trade for lSSU, il has
been said, shared in the enormous devel.
Opment ui business which began in 1875,
when the depression OF 1873 Terminated.
Specie pay ments were established in Janu-
AIRY, 1879, ami our imports which had only
gained IN the previous four years less thal
10 per centun, suddenly rose in the &c
ceeding year Of 1850 from S3B. 1000, To
fio,uUVuO. Ibis Unprecedented iTcrease
ovefstOcAed the marEet and the IMPORTS
| OF The succeeding year OF 1881 decreased
SgGl 900. The trade OF ISL hai been de-
cihTed to have been more active than pros
| porous, as, while transactions
| IN this year were large
ana business was actiy" our commercial
| agencies reported that more failures in pro-
| portion, occurred in ehe drug and chemical
! trade than In any sth6r branch OF business.
| This trade CGmp'tses two distinct classes of
goods, which sse properly called technical
and mcdicina, the former term relating to
/ those connodities which are chiefly or
wholly Hsed III the arts, ana the latter in
medicaton. The demand for technical
goods always varies with the more or less
prosperous condition of manufacturing in
dustry, while the consumption OF mediCi.
ma products from year to year varies but
lttle; hence the medicinal drug market is
easily oyerSLocRed, The trade also includes
lhTee principal functions, which are called
importing, manufacturing and distributing.
In 1871 manufacturing industry, without
doubt, yielded profitable results, as this
branch depends mainly for profit upon the
relation which raw materials bear to the
manufactured product; while importing
was not prosperous and distributing only
ialrly so, because of excessive competition
ana increased expenses in business methods.
me import TRADE has never fully recovered
rom the excessive lmpOrtations of 1850. 1t
was hoped that the reaction from the o ger
stocked market, which began in the sue
ceeding year Of 1851 when our imports
slightly declined, would contiuae; but our
government statistics show that our im-
ports through the past year have increased
from SI',4IO,2ll to So, $50, S3S-an increase
OF over Sa,Ov,VN, or more than 10 per cent
III II single year, when the natural gain
should be about 3 per cent, or in accord
win lhe progress Of population. Without
doubt, the market OF to-day is largely over
stocked with technical as well as medicinal
goods. a very great decline may be nc
llced in technical drugs and chemicals aud
general reaction in manufacturing pros
perlty is considered TO be inevitable in the
luture. This state o! things has been
aggravated by the unsettled condition OF
lhe tarlii policy; and it can only be said
that the prospect for the coming year il not
as encouraging in any direction Us could be
Wished, The legitimate commerce of the
country, however, may be said to be at the
present time in sound condition, and the
retail trade during all these events has been
larry prosperous, as this last class of deal
ers are usually more benefited than injured
by a decline in goods. The most note
worthy fact in the increase in the sum If
imports is the gain in the importation Of
Tree as compared with dutiable goods, all
the Increase being in free goods We i'm
ported IL lSS2 63i 033, SIG in free goods,
against SOS 02l IN the year previous,
while III dutlabIe goods there was slight
decrease, as we imported of dutiable goods
~ 1881 Sl9,lSi,293, against SIS, $40 ,992 in
loS2. Our American market apparently is
becoming more and more the receptacle
for any surplus of goods which may occur
m Europei aud IN the future, as the free
list enlarEeS and protective duties are low
cred, this element should receive at the
hands Of the merchant more consideration
than it has