Omaha daily bee., 1892-10-02
THE CONDITION OF TRADE
The Wholesale Business Of Omaha Con-
tinues Very Satisfactory.
COUNTRY COLLECTIONS ARE EASY
Causes for the Lack of Activity In Local
Retail Circles The situation as
1t Appears to n CONNER
ciai Agency.

There is not much in the way OF news TO
offer concerning the wholesale trade OF
Omaha Business continues very good In
general way and fully up to expectations.
The continued hot weather has necessarily
limited the demand somewhat for winter
goods The retail dealers cannot be expected
to load up very heavily with winter goods
as long as the weather Is such as to- stlfle all
demand for such goods. Accordingly Job
bors in dry goods have noted IA little falling
off In the movement OF goods owing to this
cause IL is, however, the mere postpone
ment OF trade that will come in rush at the
first appearance OF cold weather Collections
keep up in a very satisfactory manner, indi.
eating that the retail trade of the country is
in very good condition, Notwithstanding
the unreasonable weather.
A iobber observes that the best feature OF
the whole situation is that Nebraska has
another corn crop and that it has reached n
point where there is nothing to be feared
from trosts.
The Retail Trade.
The local retail trade continues rather
dull, due in rart TO the extremely warm
weather. That, however, can be regarded
as only II temporary cause OF the Inactivity
which has been characteristic of the local
retail trade FOR the greater part OF the year.
A prominent business man, who has had
good deal of eXperiece in those matters in
ulHercut CltlcS, analSLeS tne SITUATION III
Omaha in somewhat different manner than
is usual According to his theory, Omaha is
undergoing q transition common to every
American city that has ever attained to any
prominence.
1--WE say that the retail trace Is quiet in
Omaha SAID the speaker, but 1t Is quiet
because the people are saving money and not
on account or any scarcity OF money. | can
remember as u boy back in Pennsylvania,
when our town was booming, when every
body made money and spent what they made
with lavishness that created an unnatural
activity. few years later the hotheads
among us were old enough to emlgrats TO the
west aud the conservative people who stayed
behind commenced living at less rapid
pace. They made money Just as they always
did. but instead of spending 1t oil for the
benefit OF others they saved it, | was back
there a short time ugo and observed quite
closely their methods Of living ana doing
business and how they had amused fortunes
bv thrift and economy. For ex-
ample, man now worth 100000
/ noticed was wearing q peculiar shaped
shoe which l remembered was in style some
fifteen or more years ago. lasked him where
he got them and he remarked that they were
some which he got "stuck on' a number of
years ago. Being urable to sell them in his
store, he was wearing them out himself
Think of that, merchantw worth that amount
OF money wearing old stock that no one else
would have.
.'W hen | came west The town in which
first settled was booming and every bouy
spending money freely. They kept up steam
quite awhile, but their enthusiasm gradually
cooled. The boomers, many OF them, moved
out to look for fresh fields. whilo tho more
conservative elonent worked to the front
and with that commenced period of increas
ing economy and retrenchment. In other
words, the people seemed to grow tired OF
spending money and 1t became more the fas
ion to be saving. Then people began to say
rhe town was getting dull. we are suffering
from the reaction of the boom,' etc.
IL came to Omaha while the so-calle(
boom was still on, but it could not last for
ever ahd came to an end As everyone Is fnll,
aware. Now we complain that the retail
trade here is slow, and we search out al
sorts of explanations to account for it, but
believe that careful inquiry among a larg
number Of citizens would develop the fac
that the reason for their not buying good
and spending money freely as they die
during the boom period is not that they ar
drawing any smaller salaries thar
they dld then, but that they hav
caught the spirit of retrenchment
A sentiment of any KIND is catching
have in my employ man who is drawin
$500 year. He wears his clothes as lon
rs he can keep them on and will not spend
cent for anything unless compelled to- Fl
puts at least one. half of his salary in tn
bank every month. have other men wh
nre doing the same thing The result of thi
is that the bank deposits keep on increasin
while the retail trade is inclined to Ian
uuishp ~