New-York tribune., 1908-03-15
TRADE UP TO AVERAGE.
MERCHANTS OPTIMISTIC.
No Fear This Year of Usual Eff ects
of Presidential Election.

+, ,b. .-ca. 6enartment stores of this city there
is no despondency regarding the present voiume Vi
business is there pessilnsm regarding the out
look Tor the year. In talks with several Of the
managers and owners yesterday II was SAID 'ia'
-his seasons business far was fully equal 10
that OF year without the least eVcehce OF d.
possible falling off One said NAT the Foiule
Of trade was as large. but that this was Que 10 d
larger number Of customers, as there was ten
.;ency TO purchase a cheaper grade OF sooos.
There was no fear expressed regarding the usual
consequences of Presidential election II was 'he
general belief that the full effect OF the reaction
had been felt, that the recovery had SET H. anu
,hs. Il would be better that this recovery should
be siosr in order insure greater STABILITY
" was admitted that there pessiInistic taih
ia some trades but. as Edward Hatch Jr-. o. LoIo
TAYLOR said. the situation is SOUND ihere Is
no trouble with business he added otIalise %
it may seem, the majority of concerns nave NOR
money than merchandise comparatively ana ",e w
oonsurnptson has been going on prouucuoh mas
been reduced TO minimum
An important feature OF the situation seems to
be overlooked" continued Last octopef'
uber, the financial trouble came on so suddenly
,,s,v Americans were caught in European cities
with their letters OF credit impaired ano some
found themselves almost penniless- consequence
the purchases which they would have maoe. "hlch
are estimated than slo0,"es1 annually
were deferred. and report comes now from these
sarne European cities that the merchants are IN
distress at the almost complete absence of Ameri-
can customers. It will be seen. therefore. tha'
purchases usually made on the other side VIII nave
"a made here. and the consequent beneht TO the
American merchant is apparent. Although this Is
rhe Presidential election year and the greatest
game Of politics the world has yet will he in
progress no interruption TO business is likely, for
she simple that there is no more time for
delay
N- Hatch said that the retail trade in the Lord
Taylor store was fully equal 10 that Of last year
and that the same could be said OF the wholesale
business The outlook sound in every par
Uc2llar. he added.
Isidor Straus Of Macy & Co. cheerful re-
Earding present business. which. he said, not
behind former years AS the general business
condition ne was optimistic and regarded full re-
-vovery a certain.
II political conditions incidental to 3 Presi-
dental wear together with the currency iegisla-
which the crisis OF last fail has shown to he
necessary, he said were out of the way the wealth
which is daily coming out Of the ground would
right much more quickly the disaster which has
q, ertaken While il is generally believed that
conditions. measured by Stock Exchange quota
-ions have reached their bottom. the nanufactu
ing and mercantile communities. which al
wa,s few months behind both the boom and
7he fall Of the more sensitive stocks, have many
problems vet 10 solve
'-Rsrt ;lere i every reason for the belief that
src ri1l get hack normal conditions soon as
sbe crops give evidence Of average yield It is
best in the long that recovery be slow and
progressive. rarhe- shan precipiJate with danger
of setback Il IL he hoped that abor prob
erns VIII not render the situation more complex
fcr. after all the cost Of labor is at the bottom
ef the value Of every commodity.
-Tf. volume o. trade this year 80 far Louis
stern ~ Stern Brothers. said. compares favor
ably with that for the same period Of 1907 The
purchase Of hign grade merchandise has fallen of
q some extent. but the sale of other grades has
increased evening uq the volume. When people
-.Tn - limos hoy
are saying. We simply suffering from re-
ae-ion. We arc getting back TO first principles
There has been noted q decrease Of imports, but
his has besc due 20 tsI1l. and when the
Western merchants find that their trade Is prac-
-irarv tho Same as last year they viii have &c
come - this city for their stocks. which will mean