The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-03

been reasonable throughout the year. In
canned goods the demand has been enorm-
Gus ana increases with giant strides, and
especially SO in those staple articles OF
household use, such as pease, tomatoes and
corn, as they are among the cheaper articles
OF food. There was quite a heavy business
IN hour during the year, while prices were
very low. Indeed the staff of life was never
so cheap as now. The business in tobaccos
and cigars was never so large as during the
past season, while the profits were cores
considered, prices were not as high as It
was bel1eVed they would be. The sales of
liquors has also increased some. The bust
ness In meats has been more moderate the
demand at times being quite slow. This has
been the result of high prices. In fact the
prices ruling during the past two months
have been very high, as corn was q very
dear product throughout the year. Both
these important food products go hand In
hand, that OF meats being influenced en-
tirely by the value OF corn. Collections for
the past twelve monehs were not satisfact-
ory. AT times they were fair, bat on the
whole the average was not up to that of
previous years. To sum up, the grocery
trade has not made as much money as It
would have II the conditions had been
normal, although there was large quantity
| OF goods handled, but not as much as for the
previous year, the great depression, low
prices, poor credits and heavy losses being
the chief factors The outlook for business
this coming season is better, as it is be-
lieved that planters and interior merchants
are in much better shape, due to the pro-
duetton OF q cheaper cotton crop. Planters
ala not buy as much fertilizers for their
| crops, and 1t is believed that the production
| OF cotton proportionately will be fully as
much, and If a reasonable price is obtained
| for the staple the conditions for the grocery
sTsde rom a this view, it is thought are
| factory trade this coming fall.
DRY GOODS AND NOTIONS.
The dry goods Jobbing trade was not
satisfactory 6nrinO
| although the prospects at its commence
| ment were encouraging. The short crop
in our section of territory and the low
prices Of cotton soon made itself felt in the
| trade and caused no little anxiety and un-
easiness on account of bills sold and run
ming to maturity The sales OF dry goods
| from the first OF October to the end OF the
| season was limited in volume. The spring
| trade did not prove to be active at any
time; Collections, however, were fair, con
| sidertng the general depression, while fail
| ures among the country merchants were
not as many or as disastrous as might have
| been looked for under surrounding circum-
stances. Yet great many have had to be
carried over to prevent their financial ruin.
Savannah has been up and alive as to new
| business and yearly new territory has to
| be covered and Its trade secured: vet there
| was no increase, owing to existing financial
conditions. The majority of country mer-
chants, as rule, are at the close of the fiscal
year In a better shape to do business on a
| safer and more paying basis than for
two years back. The prospect of low prices
! for cotton has made others more cautious
| of credits. They will, therefore, avoid the
| heaVy losses of the past season. The out
| look is hardly fair Tor late trade, and the
| opening business of the fall trade has not
been satisfactory. Purchasing has been
| limited. There is probably no branch of
| business, except one, in which the jobber
1 takes as much risk or the country mer-
| chant is so well favored as by the whole
! representative on the road early In Jan
| uary with their samples of goods to be
| sold on time, delivered as wanted and
| dating bills sixty days or four months from
| April l, giving the country merchants rom
| four to six months credit on the goods. the
| bulk of which are domestics that tobbers
| pay cash for in thirty days while many Job
| bers even date bills payable in October fol-
| lowing. Then in June, before any calculation
| can be made of crops or the standing of the
| merchants, goods are sold in many cases on
| top of spring bills, with october dating run
| ming sixty days to four months. This curse
| of dating ahead is the cause of failures
among country merchants. causing them
| to overstock themselves and to sell the
| goods and credit out more than they should:
| or, In other words, overreaches their cap
| ital. They buy goods in January that are
blankets in June that cannot be disposed
\ of before November. This pernicious Gus
| tom which has fksten ed itself on the jobbing
trade should be Stopped. and would be II
| the manufacturers and lob bsrs OF the North
and East would take the initiative. Job
bers in the South are powerless to do this
has been the source of considerable loss all
around, and once stopped trade will return
| to Its legitimate channels. Goods will be
sold in the season TO which they are
adapted and accounts can be more closely
watched, as well as the standing of pur-
| chasers, and business will be more salts
/ factory IN all Its details. Its existence is a
menace 10 the dry goods trade, and 1t Is to
| be hoped that the trade journals will take
up this matter and with the pressure
brought to bear and reasoning with the
manufacturers and commission merchants
| OF the North and East, that before another
year rolls around this unsafe custom will
| have been abolished and the prosperity OF
the dry goods trade will no longer be en-
| dangered by 1t.
FRUITS, VEGETABLES, ETC.
The orange crop, from last seasons ex-
| perience and Its results, must be considered
comparatively speaking a failure. The rea,
| sons are several, the most prominent OF
| which was that of overproductlon. Another
was that the fruit was not properly dis
tr1outed in its marketing. The yield was
Aonndant, but shippers displayed very
| poor Judgment in Cutting the leading
| markets to the disadvantage OF other
markets, In which q reasonable amount OF
tne irulb could have been disposed of at fair
1 prices, and as consequences OF this unwise
1 policy IT is conceded that the crop did not
net over ~ per oox 10 the producers, while
4 IN many instances some growers lost heav-
| lily. Pineapples are fast becoming one Of
| tlorfda's principal fruit productions. Their
| growth on Indian river has become an i'm
| portaHt industry. The past season there
was an excellent crop Of pines produced,
prices to those interested. The past sum-
mer has proved to have been an exception
l ally fine season for melons, This has been
accounted for by the discretion exercised