The Portland daily press., 1897-08-09
ON THE MEND.
Hundreds of Merchants So Declare
Business,

A@
Maine Men Not JubiIant but of Good
Courage.-A New York Papers Canvass
of the Country.
New York, August ANSWERS from
1910 merchants scattered throughout the
country, in every state and territory
except Alaska, to questions as to the size
and condition of their stocks and as to
the business prospects in their neighbor-
hoods, furnish one Of the most encourage
ing and satisfactory evidences yet elected
Of the prosperity that has come and is
coming. These answers have been received
by the Dry Goods Economist in reply to
postal cards sent to a number of its SUBJ
scribers, and are to appear in today's is
sue of that paper. From advance sheets
the Sun makes extracts showing how
generally sanguine are the proprietors of
important business all over the land who
are in close touch with consumers. Aside
from giving the requested information
about their stocks, which is of interest
chiefly to the trade, 1897 of the 1910 mer
chants expressed themselves definitely as
to the outlook in the territory only 10
lodged the question. OF these 1897 bust
ness men only 10Y had a gloomy word to
say. These 107 discouraged men include
the men who say that business is not so
good as last year or that it is poor. On
the other hand, 421 say that business is
| fair, 500 that it is good, and 456 that it
is very good. Considering the converse
| ton of business men, especially after an
extended period Of hard times, when
more than 2S 1-2 per cent of O representa-
tive aggregate report distinctly over their
| signatures that business is very good, the
fact speaks loudly.
| The responses practically all having
been received between July "a and August
4, the conditions which they reflect are
obviously the reigning conditions. Not
all the merchants contented themselves
with comparing present conditions with
| those of last year, or with mere declara-
tive statements. Some wrote that bust
ness is better than it has been in three
| years, some than in five years, one man
| than in seven years.
Writers from Maine are not jubilant,
but only one speaks of the prospect as
poor. He says: "We did not feel the
hard times as soon as some, and will have
to wait some time for improvement. "
Five replies from Maine say that the pros
poets are very good four, good; four,
fair; four, better than year ago. "We
are enlarging our store again and will
go to the markets with plenty of cour-
age" writes q firm from Massachusetts,.
A New Hampshire firm wrote: "We
think the prospects good. We have in
creased our sales right along as compared
with last year. These sentiments come
in from New York state: Prospects
fair, and decided improvement over
last year, Prospects very good, as
there are more people at work here We
for purchases made; good sign
| OF the responses regarding stocks, the
Dry Goods Economist says: 'tOut of
1894 concerns which report definitely as
to the condition of their stocks, 1874 say
they are larger than in previous years,
$40 about the same, and all smaller.
Where stocks are larger it is due TO heavi-
er purchases in anticipation of higher
prices from the change in tariff or to ex-
| tension of business and Introduction of
new departments, or to the carrying over
of summer merchandise owing to unsea-
sonable weather in certain localities and
| in other sections to the having ON hand
a considerable quantity of heavy goods
carried over from last winter. Conditions
of the third class are the exception, how
ever"
| The paper finds in the showing made
| by the answers of the merchants great
| cause for encouragement. "We are salts
| fed,'' it says, THAT whoever will study
our compilation and the extracts from
the replies which we present that we
are on the eve of an era of exceptional
prosperity" Again, it says: "We have
seldom seen such unanimity in cheerful
| ness as comes from Indiana, where out of
| 95 correspondents, only two report the
prospects not good