The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-13
AMONG TIE J0BBERS
FEATURE OF THE TRADE IS IN
CREASED VOLUME OF LOCAL
BUSINESS.
SCARCITY OF SKILLED LABOR.
ALL LOCAL FACTORIES REPORT
ACTIVITY AND DEMAND FOR
THE PRODUCTS.
MANY BUYERS ARE IN THE EAST.
Canned Goods of Every Description
Expected to BE High This Win
ter-Mercllants All Busy.

Canned Goods of Every Description
Expected to BE High This Win
ter-Merclants All Busy.
One noticeable feature of the whole
sale trade of st, Paul jobbers is the
greatly increased volume of local bust
ness. The retail merchants in this
city are buying much more heavily
than they were a short time ago, and
this indicates that their business is
improving to remarkable extent
That this is due chiefly to the general
Improvement of conditions for the lab
oring classes there can be no doubt, for
reports would indicate there is work
for all, and especially in the trades. In
commenting on this, ]. w. Cooper, Of
Griggs, Cooper & Co.. said to a reporter
for the G o b yesterday:
''The city trade shows a greatly in
creased volume of business in COM
parison with the past few years. Labor
is employed; every man is at work and
he is buying, so that this represents
the demand. A noticeable feature OF
the grocery trade is the present call
for imported specialties. The demand
for them has hitherto been very light,
but is now greater than the supply,
hence prices are advancing. There is
an increased demand for seasonable
goods, such as will not bear shipment
in cold weather, which is good indi-
cation that the country trade is all
right"
To show that in some lines there is
an actual scarcity of skilled labor may
be mentioned the fact that for several
weeks, at the entrance of Finch, van
Slyck, Young & Co.'S establishment,
this placard has been posted in con-
spicuous place:
Labor wanted-1OO expert sewing
machine operators and finishers."
Inquiry showed that the full quota
had not been secured, but the factory
is running with large force. An ex-
tensive investment of new machinery
has recently been added, increasing the
capacity, and mackinaws, overalls,
shirts, etc, are being turned out at
lively rate.
James Suydam, manager of the ST.
Paul house of the Goodyear Rubber
company, says: 1--WE have had splen-
did business thus far this season, and
while the larger number of retailers
have ordered their goods, we are still
quite busy. Our system of giving one
dealer the exclusive right to handle
our goods in the average town or viii
i. al hn flf
that the privilege is highly priced by
those who enjoy it, and envied by
great many to whom we must regret
fully refuse to sell goods. We have
lately had two instances of apparent
failure on our part to sell only to our
regular agent, caused by purchases
through regular customers, who after
wards sold to the competitors of Gus
toners in other places, but we man
aged to trace the irreguiarity, and think
that we shall have little trouble here
after It is very hard, however, to pre-
vent an occasional break of this kind.
Although the rubber sales have been
heavy, the very dry weather has prob
ably had some effect in the way of less
ering orders, and [ look for a good bust
ness should rain and snow make their
appearance in due season. There Will
be more liberal buying this year, and
heavy goods will undoubtedly show
some wonderful records when the first
snow storm occurs"
'"The Dingley bill is probably the
cause of the big advance in prices on
material for our products said George
L. Swift, of George L. Swift & Co.,
manufacturers of clothing. ''Flannels
and woolens have advanced 20 per cent
and cotton goods about 8 per cent,
they being affected by the increase in
cost of the other. Singularly enough
very few merchants stocked up on
those goods, as they do not make
heavy advance purchases as they once
did We are very busy in our factory,
and are getting out our spring lines.
D. r. Hevener, with Lindeke, War
ner &, Schurmeier, says: "Messrs
Warner, Forest, Sloan and Hubbard
are all in the New York market buying
goods for spring trade and the re-or-
ders which are already arriving quite
freely. This fine weather is great
boon to the farmers, who will get their
threshing and ploWing we'll done be-
fore the winter sets in, and although
they will not buy much until the frosts
prevent field work, no one ought to
wish it otherwise. Trade is not dull by
any means now, and when the ground
is frozen we shall be very busy until
the holidays are over"
''There was a big shortage in the to-
mato crop" said Claiming Seabury,
of Seabury & Co., land the Gamers
cannot begin to fill their orders. One
packer. of whom we ordered large
stock, scaled the order IS per cent al
lowing us damages for his failure to
fill it. Curtice Brothers, of New York,
who put an extra choice line of canned
goods on the market, write us that
they will be unable to fill all their or
ders. Canned goods of every kind will
probably be high this winter"
President A. J. Powers, of the Pow
ers Dry Goods company, said: Our
Mr.. McKilligan, of our dress goods de-
partment, writes from New York that
prices of imported silk, mixed weaves
and wooden dress goods are very stiff
and generally advancing. American
manufacturers claim that all goods into
which wool enters largely are too low
priced to pay profit and must be
much higher in all spring fabrics"
Mr. Powers says that st. Paul jobbers
are selling such goods, as a rule, at
lower prices than those prevailing in
New York, and that those which have
proved good sellers cannot long be
duplicated at present prices.
F. A. Schulze, of Foot, Schulze & Co.,
reports that their factory is runnig to
it's fullest capacity and will continue