The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-08-13
OUR BOSTON LETTER.
Wave of Prosperity Is Felt In
Business Circles.

Little by Little Thin' Are Picking Up
n. Effort to, Checkmate New York Mer-
chants Being Made rr4;athhonse Figures
at Revere Too HighlAsubwaye to- BE
Completed Sept. Sad Incident In
Court-We Are still Running In Debt.
Short Theatrical Notes.
There are many indications that the
wave of prOsper>y, 4oI "l.l~n We nave
long waited has reached this city. II
isn't a great tiual wave, sweeping eV-
erything before it, as yet, but that grad
ual, strong movenltnt, that means nuch
for the future. Little by little, business
is picking up" is tAr \, - ne merchant
expressed his ideas of the situation, and
in nearly every .lne OF ut,~~ the senu-
ment would be echoed. 1t is the hrst
time for several years that one could
honestly say the trend was in the right
direction A casual visitor to the city
may not have noted the unfortunate
sagging in business, but it has been go
ing on 50 long that the turn of the tide
is hailed with greatest joy by our bust
/
over the remaining portion Of New Eng
land, Boston merchants will be happier
than for many months
A member of a prominent wholesale
firm, who has recently made trip
through Maine, New Hampshire and
! Vermont, while admitting the change
for the better, does not share the hope
full view that many hold, for the reason,
as he says: The people out in the coun-
try feel poor. l do not mean the agri-
cultural districts alone, but the towns
and cities as we'll. Times are not so
good there as they are in Boston, and
they will not be for months to come.
The mills and factories are idle and that
| means hard times for the Workmen.
Hard times for the workmen means
hard times for the merchant, and, when
that is the situation, we in Boston, who
sell the merchant goods, cannot expect
great boom" While this is probably
true to degree, the facts remains that
things are more cheerful in business
circles, and there is a smile now where
a long face has been wont to greet you.
Our particular bugbear, the attempt OF
New York to steal New England trade,
is being met as far as possible by the
executive committee of the Trade and
Transportation association, which has
appointed committee to confer with the |
various railroad arrangements to secure
concessions in the matter of low fares
and settle the question of 150-mile limit
for excursion rates for tradesmen. Until
these low a RI Inv IA II.
roads, the executive committee feel that
nothing definite can be done toward at.
tracing out-of-town buyers and com
peting energetically with the scheme OF
theNew York merchants. What is fair TO,
New York ought to be granted to Boston,
and there is little doubt but some ar
rangement will be made.
At the same time if the concessions
when made are honestly treated no harm
can come to merchants of other cities,
but they will be a direct benefit by reason
Of the reduced expense in reaching the
wholesale market. This is a Wholesalers
and not a retailers movement and the
excursion rates are intended for traders
and not for their customers. If John
Smith, dry goods merchant and his
to Boston for a much less sum than now
they will come more often, will keep
up with the times better and their Gus
toners will get an, indirect benefit. The
New York scheme may yet work to the
advantage of the merchants it was in
tended to injure.
A great many people are heard com
planning just now that the common
wealth is driving hard bargain with its
citizens down at the park reservation
where the handsome and commodious
bathhouse has been erected and is now
open to the public. They say that %
cents is too much to pay for the use of
bathing suit, and that under the present
the common people, who We're ,
to be benefited, are really injured. The .
criticism is a just one to a cetain eX-
tent. If the commonwealth is out for
profit on the investment the price charged ,
Is none too great, but if the structure was
erected for the general good, regard
less of monetary considerations, then 1
a reduction should be made. There are
A great many people who canont afford !
to pay the present charge for themselves
and children, and they are entitled to as
much consideration as the wealthy. ,
The patronage of the bathhouse is eX.
)ected to come from Boston, and it was >
or the benefit of her people largely that
he building was erected, and yet an :
almost prohibitive price is asked for the
enjoyment of its privileges. Again, the {
tendency here is toward free baths. In ,
most of the city baths there is no fee OF :
| merely nominal one. AT the North
End bath a reduction has been made. :
md 1t is intimated that the same will be ,
lone at City Point. But the metropolitan
bark commissioners hold up the charges j..
II Revere Beach, and the people fire. !,
luenting that favorite resort have to !
Jay as much as If they bathed at a hotel :
n Boston. This is so different from the =
treatment people receive from the mu. :.
licipality that it is not strange there is -.
"
The other side of the picture is well pre-
ented by the new north beach and bath :.
Iouse just below the old Cops Hill :
urying ground at the North End. 1t is -
pen from Z o'clock in the morning until !.
ust before sunset and peopIe of the II