The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-10-04
RICHMOND AND BALTIMORE.

The Newport News Press says that
..she people Of that section OF Virginia
would rather deal with Baltimore than
with any other wholesale city in the
country" but that the Baltimore mer-
chants do not cooperate With them III
getting better transportation facilities.
The Baltimore Sun, commenting Oh
This statement from the Newport
News paper. says that Baltimore is,
of course, the natural market for the
Virginia peninsula
Why "of course" Why should the
peninsula people deal with Baltimore
rather than with Richmond: Rich
u1ond is n 1irst-class wholesale centre
and our jobbcrs can give the peninsula
people every advantage which Balti-
more can give them. We have an I'M
mense wholesale trade in groceries dry
goods, boots and shoes, drugs, hard
ware and agricultural implements, rail
way, mill and plumbers supplies, oils
and paints, clothing, hats and caps.
books and stationery, sewing machines.
typewriters, bicycles and sporting
goods, pianos and organs. carpets, mil
linery. wooden and willow ware. stoves
and chinaware. and SO on. Our job
bling sales amounted last year 10 SIS
ZOO. being an increase Of S2.Sol, 400
over the sales Of the year before. and
the increase this year over last years
sales will doubtless lie much greater.
we have large trade in the South and
the fact that This trade is constantly
growing is the best evidence that those
who deal with IFS are satisfied with The
goods that we sell them and with the
terms.
In addition 10 this Richmond is
great manufacturing centre. We man
ufacturc agricultural implements. pa
per. paper boxes. paper Irvine, wooden
and willow ware, blank books, boots
and shoes. candy. carriages and wag-
ons, tobacco. cigarettes and cigars,
drugs. fertilizers, flowers, furniture,
harness and saddles. ice. nails. various
articles Of machinery. baking powders.
locomotives. ships and numerous other
articles.
In addition to this we have large
brewerics and bottling works, granite
works. marble yards and the like. They
number LOO and they employed last
year 25,563 hands. The output of our
mills last, year amounted in value TO
S4S, S61. S64 While we have no figures
at hand for the present year there is
no doubt that this will be the greatest
manufacturing year Richmond has ever
known.
As for transportation facilities, we
have the very best. Richmond is Il
railroad centre. but the freight rate
here is determined by the river rate
and no iobl,ing or manufacturing CEN
tire in the South has any advantage over
Richmond in this respect.
The peninsula trade should naturally
come to Richmond and we cannot un-
derstand why the people Of that sec
ton of Virginia should rather trade
with a northern city than with their
own capital All that Richmond mer-
chants and manufacturers ask is Il
trial and if they do not give the penin-
sula people the same advantages that
Baltimore gives them. they will not
ask these people DO do business with
them. But if they can do as we'll as
Baltimore they may reasonably ask
for the loin'S share of the peninsula
patronage. There is no rivalry be-
tween Richmond and Newport News.
Richmond is glad 10 see Newport
News and the whole peninsula build
up and prosper, for Richmond feels
and knows that she will share in that
prosperity. But it is a strange thing
to us that so many Nirginians prefer
to trade with northern cities rather
Than to spend their money at home It
is n mistaken policy and the sooner
we change il, the better it will be for
us all. We Nirginians cannot expect
to improve our own condition by
sending our money away to enrich
the cities Of the North. But every dol
lar that we spend at home is a dollar
saved to us and will increase our own
wealth.
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