Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-01-09
NEW YORK CORRESPONDENCE


connected with one of the largest
wholesale dry goods houses in the
city. lie said to me, ''These are the
worst times | have ever seem l
asked him if.they had beer any worse
since election than before, and he re-
piled ''The failures have increased to |
an enormous extent since election. |
Our losses by failures have amounted |
to over $50, 900, aud we do not know |
where they are going to stop. The
dry goods merchants all through the
extreme western states have sold
goods TO the farmers on credit. The
low prices of grain makes il almost
impossible for the farmers TO pay in
terest on their mortgages and meet
their store bills. The result is that
many of these merchants are failing
because they cannot collect their bills,
and the New York merchants have to
stand their share of the loss. lie
said the election had not restored
confidence among the business men.
The manufactures OF the country feel
uncertain as TO what is going to be
done with the tariff, and they cannot
push their industries in the face OF
falling prices. Hence we see they are
lowering the wages of their employees
and carrying on their business as
economically as possible. Throwing
laborers out of employment and re-
ducing wages, is lessening consump-
ton" asked him if other merchants
were suffering as badly as his firm.
DUST as bad" said he 'and so are
the wholesale grocery dealers; in fact.
in all departments of mercantile BUSH
ness there are like complaints.
Nearly all of the large dry goods
houses here are paying enormous
rents. The gentleman with whom |
held consultation said their firm was
paying $4,000 year rent, and
their lease extended for another year.
He said: "lfI could get out of bus
mess aud go on salary | would do so
quickly; we will lose more money this
year than we have made in the past
two years" Most of the large dry
goods houses are reducing the wages
of their employees from 10 to 25 per
cent.
Many of the large hotels in New
York are also doing losing business.
One of the largest in the city, whose
daily arrivals last year was from 200
TO $50. now does not average one
quarter of that number. Most of the
hotel proprietors of the city are also
paying high rents TO their landlords,
and many during the coming year
must fail. We are constantly meeting
men from all parts of the country and
their united testimony is that 'busi-
ness is duh, times hard, and ''it is
almost impossible to borrow money
without paving usurious rates of in
terest and on the best security at that.
There is considerable public interest
being manifested here just row in re-
gard TO the rental of the pews in
Henry Ward Beecher's church. Mr..
Beecher's course in advocating free
trade and supporting the Democratic
party, and stumping the country for
Cleveland. has created an important
rupture in his church, the male MEM
bars of which have hitherto been, al :
most to a man, Republican. His ,
wealthiest pew holders have been sup c
porters of the Republican party. Many
of these have signifed their intention
of not renting their pews for another h
year. Some of Beecher's Democratic I
friends propose however TO go to the
rescue and see that Mr.. Beecher does g
not lose anything by his political I
apostacy His Republican friends have t
thought Mr.. Beecher's course has been b
areiudicial to the best interests of the !:
country and to their personal inter I
asts, and therefore they refuse TO re- n
main in his church as pew holders or
be constant members of his congrega- =
ion. The annual rental of pews in +
Plymouth church takes place on the a
;tb of January, and there will be con- !,
siderable excitement here about the :
matter until that takes place. n
The treaty with Spain in regard to r
.rade with Cuba, has attracted good A
Teal of attention during the last three Y
or four weeks and the general impress a
sion is that it is bad arrangement "
or the United States although that {
reaty may be endorsed by the senate.
I looks like a movement Oh the part
If the free traders to get the duties off
rom sugar. and reduce the revenues
If the government aboet 100000 :,
innually, aud by that means destroy !
he sugar industries of the South and a
Vest which are now in flourishing b
condition. 1t vii. not in any way ma
eriallv benefit the United States. Ii 4
ill probably destroy more industries o
,ere. and injure the American market r
lore than opening the free ports of y
aba will benefit the foreign markets II
Or our products. The New York e
hamber of commerce oppose the b
'eaty. u
Hon. Samuel RaDdall's tour through !;
ne South is being watched with inter- a
Il. The speech of the latter at Louis a
lie is characteristic Democratic J,
beech. While be, Mr.. Randall, q,
laims TO be an advocate of protection, =
practically repudiates it. He says e
tariff for protection is unconstitu- "a
onal," al the same time he is trying I.
adopta tariff pillow that will please d
9th his protection constituents and al
he Democratic party. He wants to u
aake out that the Democratic party q
the PARTY that will give the indus "
.jes of the country the protection el
hev REQUIRE, and that the Republicans u
re inclined TO carry it 10 extremes by Il
ayino too large a revenue. Mr.. Ran ii
alIs policy is undoubtedly 10 make b,
riends in the South, aud SO increase u
is hold on the Democratic party and ~ y,
Q wants 10 do that without offending a,
is Northern constituents. He has an III
We on the speakers chair. III
The report current that p of the 40 =,
ollieries in the Reading district in N
pennsylvania have suspendended OPP an
rations for an indefinite period. The OF
irest of the manufacturing industries y, ~
as diminished the demand for coal. Al
n the middle states they are using nat ar
raj gas in place of coal largely, for GI
eating purposes, aud this has lessened .e .,
he demand for coal also to such
n extent that The coal companies
-. ,.,,:,o, . =, c,,rta;l nrntluefipn This r,