Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-12-28
Evolution Of Present Financial
Stress Moves from One
Business to Another.
EXAMPLES AND INTERVIEWS.
What Merchants and Shippers
Tell Regarding Existing COndi-
tons and Railroad Rates.
Need Of Building Up Manufactures in
Der Of Commerce Once More.

The evolution Of the present financial
tress is that it has moved from one
department OF business to another,
with steady progress. A year ago.
come spring. It hlf the railroads This
morning the jewelers. Of salt lake are
wearing long faces. and telling to one
another that their Christmas sales this
81 year were the poorest they can remem-
Der.
DO YOU remember to whom you gave
piece Of iewelry for Christmas?
Here is what happened in one ogden
home. A lady Of II summers and a
more than passlngly beautiful cast Of
countenance has brought to book a
host Of admirers. Last Christmas she
4 received a dozen splendid trinkets in
y gold and silver This Christmas she
received a dozen boxes Of chocolates.
BY the token that It is am ~ wind
which blows no one any good, from
4 the candy makers come reports that
j the sale of chocolates ana candles were
4 record breaking this season.
Say 1 dld~t sell a single diamond
this Christmas" was the word passed
this morning from one prominent jew
elcr to another. and the jeweler is one
whose stock Of diamonds runs up into
the six figures.
The situation on Main street pre-
stnts an interesting front In Ger
tain stores. the rent was forced up
through the season Of greatest activ-
ity IN trading to all that the traffic
would possibly stand. More than a
uCzen OF the towns principal mer-
chants put ON long faces when con-
ditiOns were at their very best and
declared that the heart was driven
completely out OF their desire TO work
for whatever they did 10 improve or
make better their business seemed Just
90 be case Of working for the land
lord.
That was with trade activity az ITS
height. Now the question IS one OF
whether the landlords VIII attempt 10
collect the full rents. under contracts
made when the pressure Of business
was on or will drop them to retain
present clients instead Of forcing them
Ia The wall. and then renting at a low
en- figure 20 new applicants.
With much seriousness merchants
declare that these two alternatives now
rest with the landlords, and the balance
OF power is entirely In their hands.
THE only way 1 can see out OF It,"
declared one man whose rent for a 80
front on Main street Is $3.50 per month,
lis for us merchants TO pool our in
terests and build a new business sec
ton, as the present landlords seem to
know no restraints"
A Main street restaurant leased its
present premises originally for 500,
and the landlord was glad to get the
money Then as business increased
the rent was run up to $50, then to
S1l5. Last spring II took a sudden leap
10 $3.50 and last fall. on the height Of
~
$500. where II remains today, with thu
business falling away in receipts each
week
The worried bunch OF people on Main
street who depend on business which
depends IN turn on the purchasing
power Of the people at large, are tax
ing anxious stock today OF the places
where wages still go on. Each mine
seems TO them deceptive symbol OF
wealth that ought 10 be and is not.
Each manufacturing plant seems &c
contain the element Of great help for
the crisis.
II tell YOU" said very large man
OF affairs today, "this thing has taught
Us the need 70 build up manufactures
here In Utah. We have stood for rail-
road rate conditions, and coal condi-
lions about as long as We can. Too
many plants have been allowed 10 shut
down or go elsewhere, while the fail-
roads took out too much coal prohts
and the mines took out big profits, that
hurt other more important interests.
Why. here are these roads asking Sl.to
cents per ton 10 haul coal 20 Salt Lake
from castle Gate, 90 miles away. From
Rush valley, so miles away they maui
lime rock into these smelters ln SAT-
Lake Valley az 40 Genus
dRure. and L don't think tines
would lose money n they hauled coal
at The same rate. II high coal Keeps
manufacturing plants away, then hlgh
coal will have more opposition rom
now than IL ever, had before. dale
not let you print my name 700 huch
business of my own would suffer n you
did. The roads would find Il inconNeni-
ent 10 furnish me cars. and ! nave got
A wen known brick and tile company
here shows am exhibit which indicates
the way rates affect the merchants, IN
one limo of goods. This company ne-
rantiv SOM 10 "a Pittsburg manufac-
turing company for catalogue OF face
I've don't want 10 DO business with
paople such aH seem 10 live IN your
cify." came the answer I'VE can ship
our brick clear from Pttsburg to JH-
pan for 81 per hundred. To ship them
a. Salt LAKE would cost us NLn
don't sec how We can do business with
people who WIN tolerate conditions Ike
This The haul 90 Japan D. across
me continent ana The same rate of 81
per hundred applies 60 San Francisco,
and 40 Denver
A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
10 increase the lighting front of the
commercial interests. rchl cnamnrf
Of commerce ia "a likely organic zion
of fhc next few weeks AZ pre- sent
the Commercial club. me State Far
aaHOciatl0n. the Real Estate associa-
ton and the "A, a M. association work
in more or less union Tor Improvement
nf conditions. Three 0f these afsocla-
lions occupy one building on west
Third south and run "a cooperative
exhibit Nov me plan d to convert
this headquarters into a formal chain-
hef of commerce. the three orf1niEa-
fiOuf calling a preliminary meeune. 'o
which business men not allied With any
N fhem WIN be called in, and out of
the assembly chamber OF commerce
formed.
AS no COAL