The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-03
The People Evidently Not Short
of Money.
HASN'T REACHEDHERE
Eastern Financial Trouble Has
Little Effect.
Volume of Business Is on the
Increase.

me per capita wealth. OF topeka
must be pretty large in comparison
with that of other cities, or else the
so-called financial stringency, as far as
Topeka is concerned is nearly a farce.
The merchants of Topeka during the
five or six weeks that the money
| shortage has existed have failed to
discern any decrease in the volume of
their business when compared with
the corresponding weeks of a year ago,
but on the other hand the volume of
business transa cted by nearly every
branch of retail trade has shown an
increase.
The large amount of business which
mas been done has been very notice.
able among the merchants who do
business on credit with their custo-
mers and make their collections
monthly. Since the shortage was first
announced there have been two COL
lection days for the merchants and
neither time has there been any fall
ing off in the amount of money col
lected. In every case the amount of
money collected at the end of Octo-
Der and November has been up to the
amount collected year ago or above
that amount.
It is a noticeable fact that the
banking script which has been issued
by the local bankers association does
not enter largely into the money
which is paid for purchases. The per-
centage of sales and collections which
which is paid in other forms of legal
tender such as checks and script has
varied but little as compared with
months before the time of the present
furry.
At the end of October the local
merchants were surprised that the
payment of bills which had been con-
tracted during the preceding month
were paid so largely in cash and that
there was SO little papof money in
SierIf hAf
seem to be true of the month of No
vember as well although it is a little
early to pass upon this phase of the
subject as but one day has been spent
in making the November collections.
However there are very few people
who are complaining to their mer-
chants of inability to pay their debts
on account of lack of ready cash. On
the other hand the local merchants
fail to see that there is any less cur
rency in circulation than at any other
time during the past few years.
Business along every line seems to
be increasing. The grocery, dry goods
merchants, clothiers and dealers in
every other line of business report a
good healthy Nicrease in business, not
such a very large increase in many in
stances but an increase such as has
been experienced during the past two
Or three years. The increase in bust
ness from month to month still con-
seems to have been no abatement as a
result of the financial crisis.
Several Topeka merchants who have
been interviewed during the day in
regard to the outlook and the payment
of bills report big increases in bust
ness. Others report the normal
amount. None report any falling off.
Here is what a few of them have to
say:
E H Crosby of Crosby Bros Dry
iS RI in
December yet to tell exactly how we
are coming out on our November col
lections. 1t was much better last
month than it was during October a
year ago. I do not think the financial
crisis which is said to exist in the
east is bothering Topeka very much.
There seems to be a good increase in
business in nearly every department,
except the departments which are de-
pendant upon colder weather than
this. We have had fine weather this
fall and that has cut down the sales
some what in a few departments.
However, on the whole. the business
has been better during the five weeks
of the financial troubles than it was
during the corresponding weeks of
last year"
H. H. Auerbach. of the Palace
Clothing Co.: "Our business seems as
good as ever and there is as much
coming In on collections as
business has been better during the
past month than during many preced-
ing months
J. w. Robinson of Robinson. Mar
shall & Co.: HAD it not been for the
would have been unable |
to tell from the amount of business
which is being. done that there ever
had been a financial panic. Our bust |
ness has gone on about the same as
ever I fail to notice that we handle |
any more paper than formerly and |
the amount of Topeka scrip which we |
have received is comparatively |
small"
w. W. Mills of the Mills Co: "It is |
a little early in the month to state |
how our collections from the last
month are coming in but I think that |
the collections will be received in |
about the usual amounts. The finan-
cial depression seems not to have af-