Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-09-17
TALKING OF HARD TIMES.
MORE TaIK Enan Anything Else
People in City and Country Pros
porous.
Philadelphia Times.

Philadelphia Times.
"It is all well enough for the people
to talk OF hard times" said an observ-
ing business man to the Herald re-
porter, ''but for my part can't see it..
We have read and heard a good deal
about the great depression and stagna-
ton IN business, but it hasn't affected
the people much. [ grant that there
has been some stoppage of manufac-
turing and railroad building has al
most ceased. That, of course, has
thrown some men out of work, but
that is about all the depression there
is. Ny idea of national prosperity is
when the masses of the people are
doing well. If the big merchants have
smaller incomes or capitalists are
able to get but small return from
their investments or loans, that is not
necessarily bad sign.
Have the people money and employ
ment2 They certainly have. Look
at the enormous attendance upon
theaters and other places of amuse-
meat, ball games and horse races.
Such amusemen and sports could
not find support if the people were not
able to pay their way. Another thing,
saving bank deposits are continually
increasing. New depositors are com
ing ia and those already having &C
counts are adding to them. In the
country farmers are generally out of
debt, and having money boarded.
Merchants and manufacturers have
been complaining of dull times, but
why is it that the railroads carried a
greater tonnage in 1884 than ia 1888,
and much greater than in 1882? Dur
ing 1884 the roads carried 700 900, 900
more tons mile than in 1888. The
gross earnings were much less, but
taat was the fault of the rates. Had
the rates been the same IN 1884 as in
1883 the freight earnings of the latter
year would have exceeded those of
the former by $50, 900, 900.
'"The fact is, things have been get,
ting cheaper during the last two years
there has been the bulk of business.
but margins have been smaller, and
as the railroads have made smaller
earnings SO have the merchants made
less profits. But cheap transportation
and cheap goods do not make the peo-
pie suffer. It is my opinion that the
common people-most people work
for wages-have been getting the
benefit of these cheaper prices, as is
shown by their savings and ready
money. When the depreciation be-
gan wages suffered first, as usual,
and working people were pinch
ed because prices had not come down.
But when. goods became cheap again
they we're fully as well off as before.
It is not how many dollars a man
earns that counts, but how much his
dollars will buy.
IL agree with the Herald that there
is plenty Of money in the hands of the
buying millions. They have been
dong fairly well, and saving, and the
only thing needed now is confidence
and the expenditure of savings that
naturally follows cheerfulness and
faith ID the future. Economy will
kill business just as care is said to kill
a cat, and unne cessary boarding is
bad for commerce. I believe that
has been going on a good deal, es~
peclally in the country, and that
more free buying may now be expect
ed.
"If the aggregate bulk Of business
continues to increase 1t doesn't matter
SO much If profits are little smaller
and the rate of Ia terest lower ON ac~
count Of the abundance of morey.
The merchant who formerly made
$50, 900 year and can now make but
$25, 900 may think times very hard,
but the people who have his S25, ZOO,
Or enough more of his goods to show
for Ii. will not cOmplai n -