The Portland daily press., 1884-12-05
The Business Outlook.

The Boston Traveller publishes interviews
with number Of the leading merchants of
that city with reference to the business pros
peciA Mr.. R. Fl. White thinks that the
large failures of spectators last spring had
the effect of frightening persons engaged 10
legitimate trsde so that they have been I'M
usually cautious. Another cause of depression
has been over production aud over import ia
ton, the market having been glutted, and
third cause has been the uncertainty and ex-
element of the political campaign. All
these causes, he thinks, have now ceased to
bottom. He does not expect much of re-
vlval in regular business until alter the holt
days but anticipates healthy an active
trade for the next four years. Mr.. White
sums up his opinions as follows:
base my confidence in healthy business for
1885 on the fact that low stocks the rule that
the political policy for the next four years may be
regarded settled, that dealers and jobbers have
now practically caught up with the manufacturers,
that mercy il plenty and be obtained at low
rates Of interest," that there is little disposition any
where 10 engage in speculative enterprises, that
wages are every where except in some of our manu-
featuring towns good, THAI there is difficulty in
finding employment in the different trades that peo-
plo are nov buyirg for cash where once they asked
credit and that there is unIustakable revival Of
confidence. The manufacturing towns the only
where the people really suffer, and where the
purchasing ability is less than heretofore think the
mills will soon start up and pay their old wages
aud the only danger ID that with the revival OF trade
they will go to rushing matters and so bring on
production again. IL, however, they will be salts
aed with doing good business at a moderate profit,
paying fair dividend to the stockholders. see no
reason why we are not to enter i'm nediateIy on an
sra of business prosperity Everything is certainly
ripe for a business revival.
Mr.. John Shepard, of Shepard, Norwell &
Co., says the principal dullntss in the dry
goods trade has been among jobbers aud
wholesalers, caused by the retailers doing
band-to-mouth business. The retail trade
has not been depressed. He thinks all the
conditions favorable tor revival:
Men cannot very well attend to two things at
once, and most men have been attending politics
to greater less extent for the past three months
They have of course done this to the neglect of
business They may not have been conscious of
this neglect, but there has been neglect all the
same Nov, the election is over. The character of
the administration is settled for the four years
and Of Congress for the next two years, and polit
cal agitation is rot going to change anything. Men
are therefore, business men nean) not going to
bother themselves to any great extent with politics.
but are going to attend to business, and the cond
tions as have already said, low stocks III hand,
money easy to be obtained at low rates of interest,
low prices and the absence Of external excitement,
are such that think going to witness great
or business activity and better and more profitable
trade than we have seen for a long time.
Mr.. A. Shuman, the head of the large
clothing house Of Shnman & Co., comedies
In most respects with the opinions expressed
by the dry goods merchants. He says the
retail business IS good that stocks in hand
are not large, that the people have money
TO buy and that We are at point where bu,i-
ness must take an upward turn after three
years Of declining, aud the demand sure to
set in viii cause the mills which have stopped
to resume operations. He also thinks that
Presidential elections are too frequent but