Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-08
CONDITION OF OMAHA'S TRADE
Business in Jobbing Way Reaches Very
Satisfactory Proportions,
COUNTRY COLLECTIONS ARE STILL SLOW
Movement of Goods shows n Decided
Change for the Bcttcr-Grnin
Dealers VIII Move ON
Chicago This Week.

Tho Influences which governed business
for so long a period were felt during the
earlier part OF the past week In an intensi-
fed degree.
he few days Immediately preceding a
national election are almost always cN-
tremcly dull In n business sense, and this
year pronounccdly so. Buyers who had
followed the hand-to-mouth policy for the
past year or more could discover no reason
for abandoning It on the eve OF an election
when such important issues were In ques-
tlon. In fact, for some weeks previous to
election day merchants In all departments
OF trade have enormously curtatled their
purchases, only the most pressing require
ments being attended to and nothing more
Consumers as well as merchants have
been holding back, even refusing to buy
necessities such as wearing apparel and
shoes. until after election.
No sooner twas the sweeping extent of
Tuesdays victory fully understood than
people commenced Rocking to the local
retail houses and supplying their wants:
on Thursday many mefcnants reported
that their sales were the heaviest of any
continued good with the retailers until the
close of the week All OF the Improvement
however, cannot he ascrbcd to the result
of the election. The arrival of decidedly
colder weather has brought out considerable
buying of such goods as shoes. underwear,
clothing. fannels, etc.
Gold Is commencing to appear once more
in circulation, and 1t Is apparent that many
people OF very moderate means put away IN
gold all their surplus savings as n specula-
tion In case of the adoption of the free
break in upon their little boards of gold
was one of the reasons why trade was 80
dull before the election.
AMONG THE JOBBERS.
Sufficient time since the results of the
election were known has not elapsed for
the iohbcrS to feel any decided change in
the business situation. but country stocks
are so small that any Improvement In the
retail trade must make an IMPRESSION on
70 the jobbng business very soon. omaha
jobbcrs, as a rule are doing "A very fair
business. taking all things into consdera-
tion, and about as much as ,rney c3uld c
however, II not the volume of business. has
been much better since the results Of the
election have become known and jobbers
without exception are preparing for much
better trade in the. near future; There Is
every prospect that money VIII be easier
and there ought to be more opportunity
for business enterprises TO expand.
The feeling that this Is the time for action
appears to be almost universal with bust
ness men in all departments of trade. II
every manufacturer ana merchant Is going
to sit stil and timidy wait until he sees
what others are doing the revival of bust
ness will he delayed. If every business
man will act upon the assumption that the
conditions call for an extension of opera
tions there cannot fail to be a speedy re-
sumption of business that will prove last
ing. The only drawback to be guarded
against Is the old spirit of timidity begotton
by the three and a half years of depression.
A waiting policy might be excusablc IL
Shcre was any good reason for It, but with
The country full Of produce for which there
IL n growing demand at advanced prices.
and with the mercantile community gcncr-
ally solvent after three years of liqud1-
tion, II would seem as If the time for wait
ing had passed. A business man covered
the whole ground I'm the remark that 'it is
work we want now and not talk"
meeting of the regular grain dealers of
the country has been called for November
Q at Chicago for the purpose of organizing
In NJ 10 on, A
number of grain men from this state have
arranged to attend this meeting. An
elaborate program covering many points OF
interest to grain men has been prepared
for the occasion.