The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-15

main at practically the same figure The "a
cilities offered by the railroads for the ship
ment OF lumber are as well as can be
asked, however, but during the dull season
the nearby mills have the advantage in that
much smaller portion OF their product is
consumed In paying freight. SO far as yes
trouble in getting them, the trouble being
with the owners Of the vessels in finding
cargo.
II prices continue to grow lower and the de-
mand remains stationary or continues to fall
of, there is very poor outlook for the lum-
Der trade during the coming year The pros
pect Is, however, that with change for the
better in the financial situation an added
impetus will be given to building and when
that change comes sudden increase in the
demand is anticipated. People NAV put some
Of their money into building instead of keep
ing II In safety boxes The lumber men are
looking for better times with change in the
financial L-tuation as well as all other classes
of trade.
Wholesale Grocery Trade.
There was marked improvement in the
wholesale grocery trade during the past wear
over the season Of 1901 02. 1t IS true that
none Of the jobbing houses did an exceedingly
large business because they we're unusually
careful In extending credits The denressed
condition in the cotton and naval stores trade
caused the grocery iobbers to exercise great
deal OF care and caution in their deaiings
with the interior merchants. as 1t was abso-
lutely necessary to scan credits very closely
In many instances Jobbers we're compelled 10
refuse patrons who under ordinary circumstan
ces were worthy OF credit. II the volume Of Or
derS received by wholesale grOcers however
were any indication, the aggregate business
would have been fully as large as any previous
year, provided all these orders had been
nlled, which was not the case as great
many OF them had to be turned down . Nv
the careful scrutiny and care exercised by the
trade the losses were much less than those of
the previous year, when there were very
large number of failures in the interior While
Ln6re has been great Of
carried over from year to year. THE merchants
In the country have SucCCe led in holding
ihelr present trade in such "a condition that
ldsJ year business was comparatively safe
for the lohbers, who look forward to the in
creas1rg value of naval stores and cotton to
place the lnlegior merchants in a condition to
pay up their old accounts. The business
along the south Bound railroad has greatly
increased and Savannah's trade is extending
rapidly in the section of South Carolina
through which this road passes The busi-
ness with Alabama also continues to stretch
out and enlarge along the line of the Alabama
Midland, While the savannah, Americas and
Montgomery railroad opens up a splendid
neld Ior our merchants. The entire railroad
facilities are very satisfactory to The trade
and these conditions have brought about a
keen competition for business between our
merchants and western merchants along new
roads with western connections. The sales
of heavy groceries during the year were quite
extensive The prices for meats were hiUb
through the entire season and the demand
tlons where the farmers, realizing the true
conditions of business, paid some attention to
raising hogs for home consumption The
trade in sugar continued heavy the low
prices which prevailed during the wear hav-
ing greatly increased the dealings iobbers
hnding 1t difhcult to keep up their stocks
to meet the requirements of the trade
The movements in butter and cheese
were also very heavy and the demand con-
tlnued steady throughout the year Butterine
IS more extensively used than heretofore and
In, t,fe,,
for butter was greatly increased. In canned
goods the demand was enorm Gus. ma rtlcularlv
in the articles of household use such as peas
tomatoes and corn. The prices for 1our were
low during the past year, and the business
was about as usual. The trade in tobacco and |
cigars still increases and prices and profits in
these articles keep pace with the demand The
sales OF liquors were about the same as usual |
Collections were fair throughout the year
To sum up, the grocery merchants did not |
make as much money as their capital and
facilities for doing business would warrant
but they were Satified, considering the great |
depression of the times, to end the year with
smaller profits and fewer losses. The out !
look for the coming season is much more en-
couraging, as the affairs of the planters and |
interior merchants are in better shape than
they have been for years. Although the cot |
ton crop is not expected to greatly exceed |
that OF the past year, it is confidently ex- |
pected that fair price will be realized |
throughout the coming season. II this proves
to be true, together with better condition
factory grocery trade during this season will |
be done.
Dry Goods and Notions.
The dry goods trade opened last September
with better tone than had prevailed for |
some months An improvement in the price
of cotton took place about that time and the |
enect OF the improvement was felt in dry |
goods. Through the winter the trade was fair. |
But in the opening II began to drop of be-
cause farmers we're forced to content them
selves with small purchases. And in the sum
mer the eject of the financial stringency be- |
gan TO be felt. Its influence is still upon the |
trade but during the past few weeks the stu |
alton has become markedly easier. Still, all |
in all, the years business cannot be called |
satisfactory nor yet unsatisfactory The vol |
ume OF business was probably less than that |
of the year before, but II was done upon a |
more business-like basis. There we're very few,
II any, purchases for speculative purposes. |
NO lobber bought fifty bales OF goods when he |
needed ten, upon the theory that q rise might |
take place soon, in which case he would make |
a profit upon the forty bales-last season he |
bought only the ten bales that he needed, and |
worked hard to make a legitimate profit upon |
them. II is probably true, also, that the |