St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-06
COMMERCIAL.


latter month, and this opinion is fully sustained
ny the ngnres. In comparing receipts and ship
ments of-the two months, it appears that during
the month of June railroads carried into ST.
Paul 1850 cars OF goods OF all kinds, including
farm produce, etc The receipts for the
month OF July were 7.499 cars, or ninety cars
less But the shipments for July were 5,0l4
cars while those for June were only 4,533, being
an increase OF shipment of 475 cars. The de
crease ia the receipts was owing TO lighter re-
ceipts Of wheat, 33 cars, oats ~ cars feed.
10 cars, hay, rs cars and other produce. Fine
receipts OF merchandise was larger by 200 cars
being LBS cars, against 1.709 for june he
shipments OF merchandise by the car oi
were 2,2So cars for July and 2,05I cars for june.
leaving balance in favor of July of 2JJ
These figures would seem to Indicate
That business during July way considerably bet
ter than during the month of June. And as i
matter OF fact the Indications OF these figures
are fully sustained by the testimony Of the led
gers OF the leading business houses. Taking the
grocery business first we find one firm reporting
the volume OF trade for July greatly in excess OF
That Tor June-almost, if not quite. % per cent.
more. Compared to july 1888, this firm asserts
their business during the month Just past in u
MONETARY point OF view, was 80 per cent. better
This means with goods something like 90 per
cent lower than they were last year, an increase
OF so per cent in business. 1t should, however.
be stated that this firm has been extending their
business operations greatly since 1853. Another
| hrm-one OF the oldest aad most extensive in
the whole country-say that business during
July was highly satisfactory in every sense of
/ the term: that it was much better than in June
and in the quantity of goods handled very much
better than in 1883, but owing to the low prices
and close margins the ledgers do not show SO much
net proHt. Leather houses report amount of
business for July about the same as last year
with the balance rather in favor OF 1881. - job
bers in manufactured iron and steel, report the
volume OF trade considerably in favor of 1853 but
the the trade Of july was fully equal to if not
greater than that of June. The general hard
ware trade Is reported as having been for the
whole year very much better than the year 1888
and that never in the history of st. Paul has the
hardware business been nearly so good in the
| month of June and July as it has been this year.
The books will show larger balances and
this fact coupled with that of pheneminally
low prices, points to very greatly increased
handling Of goods The only branch of COM
merce which seems unable to compare with the
month of June or with July of 1883 is the dry
goods business. These houses have not done SO
large business and the reason is obvious.
| Country merchants in former years have been in
the habit of buying in anticipation of the crops,
and the jobbing houses have been willing to sell
them on mortgages it were. For instance,
day and bill them for September or October
/ But this unsafe and unbusinesslike
method of trading has been discontinued nd
now when country merchant orders a line of
goods it is billed the day the goods are shipped.
And so, although the business for July has not
been SO large, and, with the extremely low prices
the balances are considerably less forthe month,
the dry goods merchants do not anticipate any
thing but good showing at the end of the year.
Country merchants will only order when they
need the goods and consequently business
will be spread more evenly though the
] season. Enough has been said at this late date
about the July trade and II is time to proceed
with the business Of the week just past.
| There is ample proof that there has been con-
| siderable improvement in business during the
week ending yesterday. The railroad returns
show total of 2,014 cars of goods received
against 1,701 for the week ending July 90. which
| shows gain of 313 cars. The shipments were
1922 against 1905 for the previous week.
| being an increase of III cars. The
river carrying has also increased during the
| past week the receipts by boat being
625 tons or $50 tons more than the previous
week. The shipments were ECO tons against 80
tons for the former week, being gain of 1870 tons
| These figures would indicate considerable in
crease in the aggregate volume Of the city's
! business, jobbing, commission and manufactur-
| ing. That the jobbing trade has improved will
! appear from the fact that the receipts of mer-
chandise for the past week were $50 cars against
435 for the previous week, gain of 90 cars, and
| the shipments 594 cars against $40, or gain of
"a cars. And that the business of the city taken
| as whole was very much greater than it was for
the week ending July 20 is fully borne out
by the statements of the merchants themselves.
This fact connected with the other fact already
proved that the business for the last month
so thoroughly satisfactory and much in adj
vance of last year should be cause of congratu-
| lation and rejoicing, There is every excuse for
dwelling on this point at such length in the con-
\ trast of the state of trade east compared with
the position on affairs here. There stagnation
| is the rule, depression and suspension. Here
thrift and prosperity. One great cause Of de-
preston east is over-producuon, and the only
remedy for this Is free trade which viii
open up widely extended field.
Groceries during the week have been quite
| active and the reports of the merchants that
they have had very busy time; prices are fairly
steady; canned goods are shade lower; but the
principal change is In sugars which are 4 lower.
| Provisions are firm and hams higher the latter
are very scarce and will without doubt advance
| considerably within the next few days. Teas
| and coffees are unchanged. The opening of
| the Northern Pacific road has completely
| reyoutioniZed the tea trade, the large
| dealers now importing direct from Japan
and China, via. Portland, Oregon, and the North
ern Pacific road, they are thus enabled to com
| pete successfully with eastern houses, not only
! in price, but in quality OF goods. Another large
| ST. Paul firm has now adopted this most excel
| lent plan and imports direct from Yokohama and
! Hogo, Boots and shoes are quiet and steady;
| there Is some improvement upon the previous
week, but there is still room for larger develop
/ ment in fall goods. In other years it has been
| the custom with buyers to anticipate business and
lay in large stocks ahead, but for reasons before
mentioned they now only order goods as they
! need them and the demand for heavier leather
4 An
There are no changes In quotations. Teaere has
also been a better movement in lea:hcrs and the
/ market has remained steady. An advance. how
ever, may be expected In harness leather and no
doubt before the next review appears in these
columns the list will be marked up. Manufac-
tnred iron and steel is quiet and
! slow; orders have been fairly numerous
but for very light parcels: prices
are unchanged. General hardware continues
active with prices steady, There are no changes
/ TO record in the entire list The drug market
continues TO maintain its activity During the
past week the demand for drugs and the numer-
Gus articles handled by drug dealers has been
! very large. The only changes in drugs are oil
of peppermint to s3.50GS3. "a, and oil OF sassa-
frass to Csc. White lead is a shade of. being
! offered at $3.50 for 500 ID lots. There has not
been quite so much activity in dry goods the past
I week. Personal buyers have been rare and the
order trade quite light. This fact docs not argue
light fall trade, the contrary the
jobbers anticipate very large business
and are preparing for it, as may be seen by the
accnmulating stocks Of new goods being shipped
| in daily by the buyers who are still east. The
buyers are able to purchase at good advantage IN
| the present demorazed state OF the eastern
market. Velyeteens viii be much worn during
! the coming and the counters OF the job
bing bouses are becoming crowded with them of
all fancy and staple colors. Large stocks of
blankets, canton fanneis and heavy domestics
have also been well bought The market here is
steady. There are but few changes to record,
the principal being in heavy brown sheetings,
Hyde Parks, Badger State, GreyIocks and Law
renee LII. marked down &c, and fine brown