New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-26
ECONOMY ~ LTXCRIES.

Most Of the hotclkccpcrs and the men who
manage livery stables in this city look unhappy
1t has been year Of depression ana gloom Tor
most of the taycrns and the stables Of the
METROPOLIS. The growth ~ Ncw-lork has been
very great in the last fifteen years ana II ia"
Republican party had not been defeated IN NV
II Is almost a certainty that prosperity would
have been unchecked in 1893 and 1874 IN me
Nation. the State and the city; that no panic
would have occurred and that Newly orkers
would not have felt the pinch OF hard tunes ~
they have been feeling It. Until Chicago was
choscn lay Congress rs the site for the Worlds
Fair II was generally expected In III" East mat
,he great show would be- held In the greatest
city Of America. This anticipation stimuiht"i
hotel building on Manhattan Island. and wlthih
the last four years many huge and costly edlnc"S
h,vc bo,n erected FOR the entertainment OF
travellers Chicago got the Fair New York
has the hotels In fact, Ncw-iork has far too
many big hotels for her needs. while me pusi-
ness Of the city and the country Is crushed under
the lcaden weight Of Democratic incompct"ncy.
laundering and malice.
Until the panic came last year there had been
n steady tendency toward higher prices In the
metropolis especially for luxurlcs. The hotels
had been raising their rates for luxuricS ana
extras" OF all SORTS even when the Inns which
were kent on the American plan had not
changed their regular daily tariff for rooms ana
meals The immense buildings which have been
constructed In recent years for the housing ana
feeding Of migratory hosts have been built with
the most lavish outlay, and have been cmbel-
lishcd and furnished with the most exfravagant
expenditure In order 10 secure any prohtS on
the vast sums invested In these sumptnous
taverns high prices have been the rule. hut
most Americans have been much more reluctant
TO pay high prices for anything IN 1913 ana
1894 than in the years before the panic. Hence
New-Yorl's coslllcst hotels have not prospercd
Stablckccpers have felt the effects Of the hard
times as hotcl-kccpcrs have felt them. hut both
classes Of people have been extremely avcrSe to
lowering their rates The charges for carriage
hire In New-York have been cxorbitantly and
outragcously excessive. There has been no
sense or reason in the cxactlons OF the stable
keepers. Competition In prices seems To be al
most unknown among the stable keepers ana
cab-drvcrs OF Gotham. Apparently there Is n
general understanding among nearly all OF these
men that the public Is to be plundcrcd without
mercy, and that there Is 10 he no cutting or
rates. But riding and driving are IN large meas
urc luxurcs. and both NEWCOMERS and the
visitors TO New-York In these days OF disaster
and gloom are reducing their outlay for luxurics.
SO the stablekcepcrs look unhappy. And well
they may. Not only are the calls for carriages
far fewer than In former years. but II Is very
difficult to collect bills. Managers Of stables. as
a rule are extremely liberal In giving credits,
and have long lists Of debtors their books.
They are In the habit OF letting great numbers
OF vehicles for driving in the Park, especially
on Sundays. In these times the people who
have been hiring carriages for Sunday drives
are by 10 means prompt in paying their bills.
Hence the settled look Of despair on the faces
OF the stable keepers.
II hotelkeepers and stablckccpers wish TO
stimulate and increase their business they must
cut down their prices That is the chief remedy
for their present affections, and II Is nds
pcnsable. In these evil days, when the Demo
Gratis have crippled the Industries Of the United
States, Americans cannot spend much money
as In former years because they have not so
much money to spend They are unwilling to go
to hotels in which the charges are absurdly ex-
ccssvc, and they object 10 hiring carriages ut
the cxtortionatc rates which prevail In this
town. Hotckccpcrs can buy their supplies and
their furniture at lower figures than those of a
few years ago. Stable-kecpcrs can purchase
horses ut far smaller expense than before the
panic OF 1899. Hotclkccpers and stabe-men
alike must be more moderate In their rates II
they hope to avoid bankruptcy. Moreover 1t is
advisable for them to advertise extensively. /
Very few Of either class in this city appear to |
the incstlinable advantages to be |
gained by generous advertising. Hotels that |
are dlscreetly aud judicously managed and |