The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-12-14
Salem Firms Report
Growing Commerce
Say They Need Larger Stores
To Handle Trade.
Reasons Given Why They
Can Compete With Any
Retailers in the State.

The only complaint Of most Salem
business men is want Of room to dc
business in. Many firms complain q
cramped quarters and cay before the
year lie over they will have to move 10
larger stores il they can be had. There
will probably be many stores enlarged d
and rebuilt the coming year.
The enlarged stocks Of many ofealem &
leading stores give our people oppor-
tunity for selections equal to those oI
the large city stores, but the buyer has
the advantage here Of svoidiDg the
enormous profits necessary to meet the
high expenses Of city stores.
To illustrate this point, Salem lady
recently sent a sample Of a new dress "a
. Portland lady friend, and told her that
the price was $3.50 per yard here, when
the friend wrote back that she had been
thinking Of buying some goods exactly
like it, enclosing a sample, but that the
Portland price was $500. The result
was, that Portland lady bought her
dress In Salem, and there is no doubt
that just such parallels exist in all lines
between the Salem prices and the city
prices.
The rapid development Of the fruit in.
dustry on all sides Of Salem will make
demand for larger stocks, larger ware.
house facilities, more commission houses,
more factories connected with fruit pack.
ing, more canneries, and more evapora-
tors.
The newspapers at Salem reflect a
larger degree Of prosperity in their ad-
Vertising columns than was ever before
known. More bargains are offered in
every line and more inducements with
big stocks to select from are shown up in
THE JOURNAL than can be found in any
city OF this size in the United States.
Do not take our word for it but take
the statements Of the merchants them
selves as they are given below. Firm
that started in this city in small way
years ago are now using large floor
rooms and several floors TO hold their
goods, and employing more help every
month TO sell goods.
Salem is rapidly reaching the point
when there is no dull season in the re-
tail trade Of this town.
Joseph Meyers & Sons have had an
increase in the holiday business OF 33l,
p,r cent over last year. We sell cheaper
in Salem because orders are placed direct
one year ahead on imported novelti es
aud the goods are taken out Of bond by
us at Portland. We buy from the
same foreign factories a. do the largest
houses there. Our orders for domestic
goods are placed direct with manuiac-
tursrs: We anticipate our bills and take
advantage OF every discount. We thus
lay our goods down as cheap or cheaper
than the largest metropolitan firms.
Business can be done in smsIl city
n smaller profits, because rents are
cheaper aud the sales force can be
worked from one department to another,
BY working the force in this way, one
clerk can sell more goods than three de-
partment clerks, The same volume OF
business can be done with % per cent
less expense In Salem than in Portland.
We find also that we are dealing with
a more prosperous people this year than
before. great many high priced goods
are being sold, which We think is due
10 the prosperous condition of the sur.
rounding country.
Geo. O. Will says the reason he can
compete with any music house on the
coast is because he can buy lust a.
cheap as money will buy, and he can get
freight rates as low as anyone. lie can
get rents and help cheaper at Salem
than at any OF the larger cities, and eau
cell correspOndingly lower than compel
itors In larger places. II Portland peC-
pie only knew it they could buy their
pianos cheaper here than at home.
ID. J. Fry says that the consumer look
ing to his best interests will buy his
goods at home, Here goods are sold
cheaper because merchants trade with
their own patrons, while in city where
most OF the trade is with tIsnsients. the
transient prices are charged, which are
always higher.
AT Holverson's-The old White Cor
ner-a great increase in sales in general
lines lie reported from the large stock o
goods they carry aud the added adyan,
tage OF good location. This increafe
will amount to 40 per cent. We ar,
able TO sell goods at lower figure here
than In Portland on account of the diff,
ference in rents. In Portland mer-
chant pays four times as much rent as in
salen. There the general running ex-
penses are high. Take for instance, the
Window-dressing. This has become a
such great factor ia an up-to-date store
that large salaries are paid to good dec
orators. An important factor is, how.
ever, that Salem merchants are satisfied
with lesser profits than thoss OF Port
land. This difference will amount ia
almost 80 per cent fn many lines.
DAbney & Gilmore, of the Fair Store
report that they have some customers
even In Portland. Last year one party
IN Washington who passed through
Portland just before Christmas bought
over $40 worth OF toys here because he
could save 'seysral dollars. 1t stands 10