The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-01-28

40 ladex 10 the Conditions Of Trade
Generally.
Business Interests Opposed to Amp
Reduction I'm postossicc Forces.
The Tariff and Frnits.

Houston. Thursday. january n.
Business men from ono end Of the countr
70 tho other arc taking interest In the prop
osition OF the postmaster general to cut dow
the postoficc forces.
II has been the aim Of every prcieccsgo
Of tho present incumbent in that position /,
\ build up tho postal delivery service. and an.
tpmpcring with tho mail service In order I,
help cover up the treasury deficit will nee
with resentment ut tho hands of Tho CONNER
cial world
Az the present time the service In some sec
tons Of the country, notably IN the south snt
Southwest Is nothing 10 brag about, and FOL
tho reason that the forces allowed tho dit.
fercnt officers nrc inadequate. compoteui
and capable mon arc employed, but the tasl,
" too much. como of the clerks putting IN
from u to ~ hours daily. Should these
forces be cnrtailcd decentralization In the mai,
service will follow and the postmaster gen
rral aud congress will hear from the people,
Delay In mail service would compel bust
ness mon TO resort to the use OF the telegraph
and the long distance telephone aud thus an
Undesirable expenBc would be forced upon the
{ business world at large.
Tariff nnd Fru,t.
Commercial America Of New York says:
The Dinglcy tariff has had an Injurious effect
upon the growers of Sicily oranges aud lem
ons Dispatches just received announce that
crisis has been reached IN Southern italy
and Sicily. prices for fruit being SO low IN
many places that II docs not pay to pick the
fruit. II IL always the darkest hour just be-
fore dawn. however. and relief for the Italian
orange and lemon growers Is in sight from
Two sources, Negotiations huyo begun he
tween the Russian and Italian governments
Tor mutuni concessions, the REPRESENTATIVES
OF inc Russian government saying to IfaIy.
4 You scratch my back by reducing your duty
Oh petroleum 20 per cent and III scratch
yours by Knocking 10 per cent on my duty
on oranges nnd lemons Iii addition 10 4bg.
when Jack Frost Recently iunchcd on i, mn.
Jority Of the California lemons he BIZ hole
~ thn eieud wtieh darkencd Sicily lemons and
ict through ray OF sunshinY hopu. The
American people can not do without lemon
ade. and II the California erop Is us greatly
u;aMagcd w current reports Indicate, whore
else can they get their lemons oxropi from,
sicily2 Leading importer sized up the
query. 5000 |
the pingley law caused a considerable
ehaigc In the orange and lemon markets In |
INC snsst place, BANKERS refused to advance |!
money to growers for their fruit by reason
OF the uncertainty of the outcome of the sale |
aiN INV NhiIll Ntt ADVANCED tho duty
lemons from % cents per box To about M |
cents, and OH oranges from 70 cents to about |
40 cents under the Wilson law the duty WINS
levied according 10 the cubic contents OF tho
puekugch, while under the Dinghy law the
uuty W collected according 10 the weight |
lemons, being closer packed than ORANGES |
weigh morci hence the difference In tho duty |
IN order to show the effect Of tho present Inv
II II only necessary to compare reeoipts of |
oranges and lemons this year aud last. In
i,sae'nner lSed tl,oO0 cases and 1900 boxes
M We're received nj this port, while last months
receipts We're only $500 cases and 10 100 boxos |
lemons make little better showing, but the
ishiing on In Arrivals has been large. iipurea
LOT ~, tiie lsab period boing l2o,S0o boxes against
ts'sn IN december OF 1897. Rce,ipt, OF lctn. |
ons Tor the present month have been about
asoou boses, against $4,000 last January.
Wah.tMakcr's Credit scheme.
ne accounting department OF John Wan |
amakers New York store has Just adopted q |
new system OF checks or Going for the con.
N"'iehee OF customers with whom they open
s"eonhls' IN these largo establishments II " |
customary 70 refer every request FOR goods |
70 DC charged To the credit department before
guy, 'i order Is booked, but Mi Wanampker now |
ISSUES 10 fhel OF his customers n metal check |
with . number. and on presentation OF this |
Wueh making purchases. tho order viii hs
p,pokou and passed through without delaying
The customer. Before tho goods Arc, dnli,sa,..S
and hiilpd tho number given ia, of aa,,rsn
compared with the record 10 see Tint thore Ia
10 mistake. 'N 20
The sfeat problem IN these large denar,-
mont stores lis 10 facilitate tho work ~ wait
ns up customers. and amy system which will |
rfonplish this ia Of material beneflt Ia w,
'hopkeeper aa well MS for the convenience ~
ais customers "
Trade Notes.
I, The roads ana streets are stll IN bud oon.
ii'iph the miiA IL now thick and sticky
MAKING hauling extremely heavy
Tho market on tomatoes In baltimore ~ no.
'ettcd 20 be easier. says Il New York a.
mango. There are soilers, 1t "a reportcd ~
harylands nj ?0c E. o. b. baltimore 'rbn
,fenk IN prices, Il Is intima,ud IN d,,n ~
nc iuet that Interested holders havp cenand
luyii'r. unlcaa tho demand from tbat o,,nr'
er ~ resumed. Il IL stated. prices nrn lkriy
2 aas nul thu wants OF cons,iInption havo
hAorbed the cheap lots
tnstc " = trmer nndertonc to the butter
cont ''"s''
{ figur aud meats rule Arm, but no advance
las poell recorded In spots.
The pgg market Ii still weak on h.oyv :,
eipis- IN large lots prices arc shaded wbiia
2frigr 'oss soia ~
POULTRY is steady aud In demand. A Ia, &,
urkcy mems sold today for 81 and gobblcis "a
Demand for fruits u improving i little und
iices arr steady. ""''
~ soon as the pcddlcrs can navigate mo
.r.ctH There VIII be an Improvement IN fruits