St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-10-21

ago, which proportionately curtaile"
business all over the country. The
year 1899 would be, as you say. nearer
an average than would be 1898. AS
compared with 1892, 1S94's business
shows very handsome percentage of
increase. In every department we have
found it necessary to increase the num-
Der OF our employees over what they
were two years ago. Regarding the
prospects for fall. winter and spring
trade, the immense stock of fall and win
ter goods l bought last summer is
the best and briefest answer l can give
you as to the business condition | then
believed would prevail this fall and the
coming winter. ! am very glad to say
that my expectations have been more
than realized; and l believe that our
1895 spring and summer trade will be
all that we can ask. What orders l have
already placed have been based OH my
expectation for a heavily increased
trade next spring; and l do not for
moment believe that we will have occa-
sion to regret buying so heavily.
Unsettled commercial and industrial
conditions necessarily affect the retail
clothing business the same as they do
any other lines. With the permanent
settlement of the tariff question (for a
time at least) better feeling prevailed
all around, and business became pro-
portiOnately more active. Now that the
manufacturer can select his raw ma
terial from the wool products of the
world, without having to pay burden
some tax for the privilege of using
it, the tendency will be to get even a
better quality of material than we have
now. and may greatly benefit the con-
sumer without in any way increasing
the cost. st. Paul is most advan-
tageousfy located as regards trading
with that portion of the Northwest
lying between the Great Lakes and the
Cascade mountains, and the future POSI-
tiOn that st. Paul Is bound to occupy
towards that immense region lying
west and north of us-not one-
fifth part of which is as yet set
business men and commercial bodies of
this city. To the credit of our bright
and enterprising newspapers it can be
truthfully said that they are doing even
more than their share towards making
St. Paul supreme throughout this
regiou. Our advertisements in them
bring US returns from far-away Wash
ingtOn and Idaho. AS for Montana, the
Dakotas and Minnesota, st. Paul is al
ready supreme. There is nothing in the
line of merchandise that cannot be as
cheaply produced IN st. Paul as in Chi
cagO or any Eastern city. The saving
in carrying charges alone is an item of
no small proportion.
Ii. w. Fagley, manager for Brown
Ing, King Co., is convinced that con-
fidence is now restored, and that the
prospects are SO good that by next
spring business will be upon its normal
basis. Our anticipations are more than
realized. In September our trade was
so per cent greater than last year, and
compared very favorably with the same
month in 1892. During October so far
the same conditions hold good. Pros
poets are excellent for this fall, but
not for the winter trade, yet spring
will bring us to our normal state. Cloths
ing now is cheaper than ever known
before. Soon it will experience small
further reduction on account of the new
tariff, and a still greater increase, [
think, owing to the settle ment of the
recent strike of the Eastern garment
workers. Their wages have, by agree.
ment. been advanced 25 per cent. This
settlement, nevertheless, is satisfac-
tion to all the leading clothiers, who
believe that the workers were pre-
viously underpaid.
Plymouth Clothing House can say
that we are having very satisfactory
trade, which shows marked increase
even over 1892. We are perfectly salts
fed to sell, as we are now doing, more
goods at lower prices.
II. c. Burbank, of II. c. Burbank &
Co.. ST. Paul and New York-Trade is
good and collections are excellent. In
deed, many of our country customers
are diScounting. Our business will, of
course, be better than it was last year,
although hardly equal to that of 1892.
If they let the tariff alone, as most
political parties seem now disposed to
do. l look for prosperous year in 1895.
The feeling is rapidly gaining that
country merchants can buy as advan.
tageously in ST. Paul as in Chicago or
the East, and at the same time save
their travelling expenses.