The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-02
BUSINESS STARTS
Up THE GRADE
Marked Improvement Is Now
Beginning to Make Itself
Felt.
GENERAL REIMBURSEMENT
CONSTRUCTION WORK PROVES A
HELPFUL FACTOR.

Gradually the business conditions IN
Salt Lake are improving. The effect
of the recent financial break is to make
the merchants more cautious and to
avoid anything that borders on a
plunge. For this reason conditions APP
pear to be somewhat dull while in re-
atty the improvement in business from
week to week is marked
Just at present the business interests
are experiencing d period of reconstruc-
ton that requires caution. Prices are
being readjusted all along the line 10
meet the new conditions resulting from
the financial difficulty. The manufac-
urer can now secure his material for
less than heretofore and as d result OF
this and of the hard times temporarily
brought on by the money stringency
reduces PRICES on his product to the
jobber The jobber in turn reduces his
price to the retailer and the retailer TO
the consumer. The consumer in many
instances contributes his share by ac/
cepting a reduction in his income as the
result of the same conditions.
Problems of Readjustment.
The trouble at such period arises
from the fact that such a readjustment
does not affect every one to the same
extent. The retailer who has a large
stock on hand purchased at high price
has difficulty in meeting the competi-
ton of another dealer who had a small
er stock when the break came and could
repIenish his stock at a much less cost.
Salt Lake is recovering from the
strain with probably less i'll effects than
most of the other cities. The closing
down of the mines and the smelters
which was partially due TO the hard
times of the east was the most serious
blow. However, the city is now rallying
and the bank clearings each day show
an upward tendency
That men in a position to judge the
future of the city still have their con-
fidence in it is evidenced by some of
the recent purchases of Salt Lake real
estate. One of the most important an
nounced during the week was the sale
of Proportion Place to Samuel New
house 1t was said yesterday that ne
gotiations were on for other deals Of
almost equal Importance to this one.
Pushing Construction Work.
On the Newhouse buildings the work
has proceeded to the eighth story, and
every effort is made to rush the con-
struction as rapidly as possible. The
SuDGfSlIuGLuEt
now completed and the interior of the
building is being finished. so that within
a few months the building will begin
to receive its tenants. The definite an
nouncement that the actual work on
the foundation of the new Short Line
depot will be begun Monday has caused
a strengthening of the real estate mar
ket throughout the city and especially
in the vicinity of the site for the new
building.
An important factor in the prosperity
of big city is the ability with which
the unemployed are cared for. Until the
past week there were hundreds OF men
out of work in Salt Lake. With the
resumption of construction work the
majority of these men are being en-
ploved. The discrimination of employ
ers in favor Of married men and heads
of families and of American citizens IN
stead of the foreign element already is
productive of good results
Good for Hardware.
Building material naturally is selling
better now than for several weeks past,
the resumption of construction work
having a direct effect on the sales OF
this character. Hardware of all kinds
and especially building hardware and
plumbing supplies have had a good
week. The week closed with good
business in stoves, the cold snap bring
ing on a demand that was not felt here
tofOre.
In the clothing, dry goods and millin-
cry lines the season is somewhat duller
than usual, although January and Feb
ruary are quiet months in these lines.
The trade for the week shows a slight
falling off as compared to that of a
year ago.
r. rooaI e+ocIxc and bonds the mark of