Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-21
TIE BUCINESS OUTLOOK.
ENC 0URAGFD BY
COLLECTIONS AND OhDE1.S.

COLLECTIONS AND OhDEI.S.
What They Say About the Trade Situa-
tion-A Boom Not Expected but a Fair
Demand Pre3icated upon the Curr ent
Requirements of Interior Dealers and
C1psumers-Ehec of the Anglo Rus
sian Trouble upon the Market.
The outlook for business in the dry
goods, grocery and provision trades in
Savannah, during the next few months,
is exceedingly promising, although a
NEWS reporter was informed yesterday,
by representatives Of the leading houses,
thai no decided boom was expected at
any tim daring the spring or summer.
A fair demand IS prodicated the cur
rent requr ments Of interior dealers and
consumers. aud The volume Of trade
is equal TO that reported during
the corresponding period last year.
There is concurrence in the
expression OF opinion that the backward
spring has limited the demand in the re-
spectiva departments of trade to the
actual current wants Of the people. This
condition Of affairs applied parti-
cuarly to the dry goods department.
which. notwithstanding the absence of
anything Ike a rush, has been doing good
business on the best of account for some
months. Collections have been made
promptly, its trade is in q legitimate and
healthy condition, and there is every
prospect that the volume during the sum-
mer viii be equal to, if it does not ex-
ceed that Of last summer. Dry goods
have been cheap and merchants are con-
tent to make "a small margin of profit.
which is being recognized with evident
satisfaction by purchasers.
In the grocery trade there has been one
or two assignments among retailers,
but all the wholesale dealers
are in good spirits and are united
in the statement that while the
trade might at this time be regarded as
comparatively dull, there is a prospect of
increased activity at a not very remote
period, and that prices will probably re-
main unchanged except in the event of a |
war between Russia and England when !
there viii very likely be an advance in |
-four above the price which now prevails. |
In the wholesale department prices in Sa- |
Vannah compare favorably with those in |
the East, North and West, with whom the !
merchants here compete successfully |
selling at the smallest minimum OF profit |
a leading merchant remarked Yesterday !
that ''the profit on a single bill OF goods is |
80 small that were the purchasers to see |
the general transaction from the time of |
receipt to the time of shipment, they |
would hardly realize that 1t would pay |
for handling. 1t is the large aggregate of /
business that enables the merchants TO /
work at such small margins. These COM /
bined have made savannah the centraIiz- /
ing point of trade in this section of the |
South"
A leading dealer in provisions, such as |
smoked meats, etc, observed that a fair |
amount Of trade was being done, and that /
the aggregate Of transactions in that de-
partment was fully equal to that reported /
during any corresponding period Of
preceding years. There was no
speculative movement, and trade
was, on the whole, in a very satisfactory
condition. In response to the inquiry
whether a war between England and
Russia would cause an advance in the
price OF bacon, the answer was in the
negative.
''WhyY inquired the reporter.
because" was the reply, lit is prOba-
bic that the greater portion of the force
which would do the fighting for England
in Asia are of the MOhammedan faith.
None of those people eat pork. and il they
We're fed on meat at all, it would be beef"
sit Is remarkable fact" said a men,
Der OF large wholesale house. "that our
country patrons have been unusually
prompt in making settlements since the
beginning OF the new year, and the in
stances are few where an extension OF
time has been asked. Cash payments
have been the rule. The reason why
say this is because the impression has
been pretty general that owing to the
hard times and the great depression
in trade and shrinkage in values
everywhere that collectors would
find it an uphill job in squaring
accounts with customers, and extensions
were expected as a matter of course. |
might further add, also, in this connec-
ton, that country orders are not confined
to only two or three particular lines Of
goods, but embrace several. The outlook
for farmers had not been so promising
since 1880. Bed rock had been reached,
the weak houses were forced to the wall,
and those that could stand are more solid
than ever before"
The local money market is quiet, and
rates OF discount remain the same as they
have been during the entire season.