Evening star., 1898-06-07
THE TRADE OUTLOOK
Local Business Improving in Almost
Every Branch.
THE RESULT OF MANY INQUIRIES
The Reason Why the Dry Goods
Line is Not Brisk.
AN OPINION ON THE FUTURE

The anticipations felt in local business
circles during the feverish days preceding
the actual commencement of war with
Spain that the beginning of hostilitIes
would fraugurate a greater lveliness in
trade are being generally realized. OF
course, there a few branches of busi-
ness that have not yet felt the beneficial
effects of tie war in a substantial sense,
but in general the Improvement has been
noticeable and gratifying in those lines
which would be naturally affected. There
has been a veritalle boom in the grocery,
provision and meat trades owing to the
establishment of Camp Alger. near Fails
Church. Washington being naturally the
depot for the large amounts of fresh sup
plies needed to feed the thousands of SOL
diers there. The hotels, too, have been en-
joying fine patronage, and. of course, this
necessitates larger buying on their part
from the lines mentioned above. The sum-
mer exodus, again. has not been far
and will not be anything like great as it
has been in former years. A vast number
of leisure people, as they may be termed.
particularly the families of army and navy
officers, will remain in Washington for a
larger part OF the summer than usual, and
the money formerly spent elsewhere dur
ing the warm season Will be spent here.
The Unemployed Get Work.
Then, again, the great army of unem-
ployed has been greatly decimated. Hun
dreds have gone to the war and the extra
demands on the government workshops
have taken hundreds more and given them
work and wages. The clothing and mems
furnishing trades, to say nothing of those
which sell home necessities. have profited
heavily by this. Clothing sadly depleted
by long idleness has been replaced and the
struggle with the wolf at the door has
given place to comfortable enjoyment of a
plentiful larder within. So in almost every
direction in Washington trade has been
benefited by the increased expenditures OF
the government. At the same time the
cost of living has increased Meat, butter,
bread, sugar, flour. beans. rice coffee and
other staples of home consumption have
materially advanced in price. but not so
greatly as to cause any suffering even
among the very poorest.
One Effect of High Prices.
Some of the merchants in the dry goods
trade complain that business is not as
good it should be at this time of the
year.
A representative of one of the largest
department stores in Washington, which,
however, does not handle groceries and
similar articles of immediate home con-
sumption said this morning:
I'VE find business particularly dull for
this time of year. Washington. how
ever, seems TO be better off in our
line than New York, Philadelphia. Boston
or Baltimore, if my Information Is cor
rect. The only reason / can assign for this
state of affairs is one that may strike you
as singular. Women. of course are the
chief patrons of such stores ours. Now
nine out of every ten married women, /
reckon, handle the domestic purse strings,
and their first care is to see that the cup
board and the refrigerator are kept prop
erly supplied. When flour, sugar, coffee
and such things advance in prirF and bread
jumps a cent a loaf higher. the housewife
ughtens those purse strings of hers and di-
minishes her personal expenditures for
adornment to meet the demands of the
table. There is no doubt about this. and 1
am confident the conditions In our line are
directly due to the causes L have stated
An Opinion Based on Experience.
A few moments afterward the reporter
for The Star met the head of the firm con-
Quoting the largest department store in
this section OF the country
Business is net particularly brisk he
remarked, but Il is good and steady. 1t
is the American ch Iracteristic to expect
everything to ccme with rush, and many
persons who expected that the war would
create an immediate boom are disappointed
merely because their hopes were too high.
War is scarcely a month old vet. and the
vast amount of extra money expended by
the government has not had time yet TO
get into circulation. When il does, how
ever, Washington cannot help being won
derfully benefited. ] am confident that
there will be sure, steady and substantial
Improvement in every line of trade. Every
indication oints to it, and it will be evil
dent very soon that what / have said is
true"
1t will be seen, therefore. that except
in a very few branches of trade improve
Elent has already begun, and ii is unques-
t;cnably true that an era of excellent bus
ress is to follow.