The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-01

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aged about II per cent. The merchants in thi
city do not suffer so much from a general de
preston in business the merchants IN the
larger centers of trade. have noticed Tor sew.
eral years that in times of depression, when Gin
cinnati Louisville and Chicago wholesale mer.
chants have suffered heavily, in indianapolis,
according to the amount of business done, we
have been comparatively prosperous
"What do you think are the causesP
81 believe that in good times, when the mer-
chants buy in larger amounts, they patronize
trade When business depression comes thav
huy their goods nearer home, and they buy in
smaller quantities They are more cautious.
The retail trade during the last year
Ibelieve, has been only fair There have not
been many failures, and for the reason that the
merchants have been cautious The losses have
been small Collections have been good, and the
trade has been much better than we anticipated
in the beginning Of the year"
What view do you take of the futureI"
There is nothing at all certain about the
business of next year. Our policy is to go slow.
Dry goods are exceedingly cheap. do not think
that prices will go any lower. The business of
next year will depend largely on the movement
of grain and the yield of crops Trade in In
dianapolis may continue healthy, and larger
cities may suffer. There will be no boom, but
there is nothing IL the present indications to
cause any alarm"
Mr.. E. G. Cornelius, Of the firm of Byram,
Cornelius q Co., says that the dry goods bust
ness during 1884 was larger than during the pre-
vious year. II don't look upon the prospects for
the next year. he says, however, las being at
all f1attering. The reasons which give me this
view are the partial failure of the grain crops,
the low prices of farm produce and the POSSIBLE
ity of the passage of a bankrupt law by the pres
ent Congress, which would be detrimental to the
business interests of the Western country"
THE GROCERY TRADE
W. A. Krag, of the firm of Schnull & Krag
was asked about the grocery business. Trade"
he said, has been good. We have sold moro
goods than during any previous year. The
profits however, have been light. There have
been many failures among retailers, and, while
the losses have amounted to no large sums,
they have not been uncomfortable. The
expenses of conducting business during
the last year have been out of
proportion with the profits Competition
has been close. There has been more sugar sold
than ever before The reduction of the price
upon it has been felt more than upon any other
article. because it comprises about one-fourth of
the jobbers trade. The reduction has BEEN
decidedly, to the advantage of retailers. The
depression and the scarcity of money among the
people have caused the retailers some losses
However, they have watched their business
closely, and, with cautious management, they
have done fairly satisfactory trade There
have been few or no failures among the cautious
dealers, and they in better condition than
they were year ago, because they have lighter
stocks and are less in debt. The great evil in
our business comes from the anxiety of the
jobber to sell his goods. and. to make SALE he
gives the creditor more time than he properly
should, and often credit is extended to those
who do not know how to do business There
should be more discrimination in this matter.
No jobber ought to sell goods on more than sixty
DAYS time"
How about the prospects for next year,"
II don't look for any immediate improve
ment The prices on goods are as low as they
can get. If there is any change there will be an
advance, and it will come without any indication
preceding it. The increase in the volume Of
trade during the last year has averaged about
II per cent. The general conditions and indica
tions for the next year are favorable"
Mr. M. O'Connor, the Wholesale grocer on
South Meridian street, says that he finds. at the
close of the year, that the trade of 1884 was
about the same as during 1883. During the last
three months there was something of an aver
age gain over the preceding nine months, ''The
values of goods are considerably lower than they
were at the beginning of the year / regard the
prospects for 1884 as favorable, but do not look
for much of an advance In prices. We have sold
more goods during the last year than in 1883,
but the profits are very much smaller. For in
stance, in sugar, which is large part of our
trade, there has been a reduction of six dollars
on barrel. In a business of $1,000 barrels a
year this reduction is a big matter"
SPvarln.
myer 81 Co. reports that more goods were sold,
in the amount of dollars and cents, than during
the year before, although there was great de-
cline in prices. 1.-THE general condition of trade,
he says, ''has been very satisfactory. The col
lections have been little slow, but there have
been few failures among retailers. L believe
that business will drag along slowly for time,
but that, on the whole, there will be fair trade
next year The wealth is in the country yet.
The farmers have not sold their wheat, and
%bora xxyin ho ffnr n
until they do"
THE HARDWARE TRADE.
The wholesale hardware trade, says Mr.. j. l..
Fugate, of the firm of Hildebrand q Fugate,
has been satisfactory. AS large a quantity of
goods were sold as in 1883, but the amount of
money received on them was less, owing
to the decline in prices, which has
been gradual during the last several
years 1.-The values deprecated greatly during
the last year. he states, ION account of the
and decline in the cost of most
all materials, well as from the better facilities
for turning out manufactured goods. The low
prices of farm products has been rather lnJurl-
Gus to the hardware business, because In con-
sequence there has not been much building,
upon which our trade depends largely. Nails
are now from % to 80 cents cheaper per keg
than they were year ago. and with trade or
]. 200 kegs month this makes quite a difference.
can't see that the outlook for the next year is
very encouraging. If there is a good CROP and
when it is known what the incoming admins
tration may do there may be some improve
ment"
Mr. George w. New of the hardware firm Of
Vajen e. New, says that the quantity of goods
sold during 1884 was as large as IN 1888 but that
all classes of merchandise in the hardware line
is somewhat lower in price, and in consequence
the profits are smaller. Buyers" he says,
''have been careful and have purchased in
smaller quantities than usual on account of the
recognized depression in trade. Altogether,
however. business has been as satisfactory as
we could have any reason to expect. l think that
the outlook for the next year is very favorable.
1 think that there will be steady, gradual
growth in business. and that at the end of the
year we will be in more prosperous
Condition than we have been for some
time. There will be no further decline
in prices, because the bottom has been reached.
nha worst. IL over and with the restoration of