The San Francisco call., 1897-07-14
BUSINESS
ACTIVITY
HAS BEGUN
Flour Shipments Are Al
ready Assuming Large
Proportions.
A GLAEhAh hLtIsAL lNilllNLA L.
Early Inquiry From the East
for California Canned
Goods.
OPINIONS OF LOCAL MERCHANTS.
Leading Firms Say Trade Is Steadily
Increasing and Money
Plentiful
OPINIONS OF LOCAL MERCHANTS.
Leading Firms Say Trade Is Steadily
Increasing and Money
Plentiful

That the deplorable condition of busi-
ness which the Democratic calamity press
rants about from day to day exists, for
the most part, in the disordered imagina-
tions of interes soreheads seems TO be
proved by the statements of some of
San Francisco's most reputable business
men, and that the revival of business is
not alone an iridescent dream of the
future, but that already substantial i'm
provemsnt has begun, is the testimony OF
some of the oldest and largest business
houses on the coast.
That this improvement is not confined
to any particular class OF business is also
true yet in some branches the renewed
activity has become manifest earlier than
in others. The opinions of men at the
head of large business enterprises will
doubtless be accepted by the public with
more credulity than those of politicians
whose means of subsistence is de pendent
upon their ingenuity in charging the Ma
tional administration with re sponsibil1ty
for every business failure in the country.
|, appears an assured fact that prosper
Gus season in many particular branches of
trade has already begun in San Fran
cisco. In tie -four business the demand
is greater than it has been for mon tbs
and much trouble is experienced in pr O.
curing trans portation.
Said G. W. McNear of The Port Costa
Flour Company yesterday: Business
generally IS in very satisfactory con-
dition. We expect that next month -four
shipments will be very heavy. Business is
int rowing steadily"
p. S. Teller, mem Der OF the firm of
Morton, Teller d Roden, wholesale p-o-
vision Dealers said: Business is improv
ing. In TACT the Improvement has been
steady for the past TWO or three months. l
consider the outlook for the future very
bright aud anticipate large fall trade"
Said Bernard Reiss of the firm of Neu-
burger, Reiss & Co., importers of dry
goods: II consider the outlook good and
the prospects for a brisk fall trade are
IN uch better than last year. In my opin on,
as soon as the tariff is settled business will
increase in all parts OF the country"
Castle Brothers, i'm norters and commits
sion merchants, were very sanguine and
said: I'VE consider the outlook very
faVora bic for good fall trade. Inquiries
from the East for California canned goods
have not only begun earlier than usual,
tut are much m re numerous, both of
which facts indicate that there will be a
larg fall trade in that line. / think the
. eneral desire is to have the tariff settled,
which will restore confidence throughout
the Union and merchants will feel more
disposed to do business"
Captain William L. Merry, secretary of
the Cha NJ ber of Commerce, said: 1T must
be remem bered that this is the dull season
of the year, consequently we have n right
to expect a business activity equal to that
of the late fall or early spring, but there is
a decided improvement in feeling regard
ing business matters resulting from more
activity in the money market, thereby
allowing more money to be used in in
dustrial and commercial enterprises, and
the faith that the tariff bill will produce a
beneficial effect on California produces, if
possible, more than on those of any other
part ol the country.
There is also feeling of hopeful expec-
tation on the coast that Hawaiian annex
alton will bring additional business to
Pacific Coast ports and induce imm gra.
ton to The islands. Also on account OF
the clause in the tariff bill which, if car
ried through, will fac litate and improve
the chances of American shipping by rea-
son of the 10 per cent ad vaIorem which is
charged against ships under foreign colors
that are competing in carrying the i'm
ports coming into the United States with
American bottoms.
The principal drawback to this coast,
oilN oh uotfCicoiAJ oNNCPtSN ioNtt 20 tiiot
We cannot get immigrants to come into
the State and settle up our lands owing to
the increased cost Of transportation across
the continent; the increased cost repre-
sentinp to the immigrant the value of
acres of land. and he generally considers
il better policy 10 buy in the great mid
die West rather than spend his money in
passage 10 the Pacific Coast. So we'll is
this recognized that the people OF this
coast are universally looking to the open-
ing OF the waterway through Central
America for cheap transportation of the
products grown here to the Atlantic sea-
board and for i'm portation of the products
OF the Eastern States and Europe, to-
gether with cneap immigration, as being
the solution to the settling OF this coast.
The situation, on the whole, Is very
hopeful for California; more so than it
mas been for two years, and that We are on
the eve OF an era oil prosperity is certain"