Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-08
RETAIL TRADE SHOWS
GENERAL PROSPERITY
Sales Better Than During Christmas
Rush Inst, Year, Merchants
Report. ~
; WAR STIMULATES BUSINESS
More Employees at Work in Retail
Lines Than During Holiday Rusl,
Last fear, Says Secretary Clarke,
Of Retail Merchants.

Ktchmond merchants are optimistic
INC Christmas rush Is on In the retail
stores. and shoppers are nuklng liberal
purchases despite tho reports OF hard
times. Tho shopping districts were
crowded the greater, part. OF yesterday.
ana statements from retail merchants
indicate that business was never better.
Merchants are inclined to belicv that
reports OF money strfngcncy and buEi-
ness depression IN many instance a have
been grcnt!y exaggerated. Many OF
them believe that tho European war
VIII eventually tend to stimulate busi-
ness operations in this country. SO
lar, according to reports from reliable.
sources, the so-cnlled business de-
pression" has In no war decruased
sales IN tho retail storesEot Richmond.
In some instances II is said that bust
mesa liz even better in the retail trade
than during the same period last year,
TAKE on ADDITIONAL HELP
TO MEET CHRISTMAS RUSH
". A. Clarks, .Ir., secretary OF tho
tsichmord Retail Merchants Associa-
t'on, who Is constantly IN touch with
the situation In local retail estnblisii-
mcnts. was oDtiniHt.c In mis- conversa-
ton last night regarding business con
disions.. The work OF this orEanIaa-
ton may be taken as good Index
to business conditions in the ratan
scores OF the city" he said. "and 20
far az can zee. tho merchants have
no kick. Collections nre holding up
wGii. and some OF tho stores have been
Obliged to employ additional help to
meet tho Christmas trade. The work
az this Office ls greater than ever be-
fore I'm the history OF tho association.
and we have been Obliged to Increase
our oiliee force, have talked with
many OF the merchants, and they all
say business ia goods"
Much ar tlil fnlft ahnnt I, az, I.
Is nothing moro than myth" said
samuel Cohen, head OF tho Cohen Com
pnnyh large department. store. 1T lis
truo that there are many people Ia
need. but don't think TINT can be
attributed To any special depression In
u.s." -
ESTABLISHMENT HAS NEVER t
DONE \ LARGER GUINNESS
AR. Cohen stated that tho csta blish
,nent of which no is tho head had never.
done e larger business than at the
present time, that there appears to he
no great monetary stringency, and
thut collections arc good II believe
That many peopfo have tho wrong Wow
III believing that the European war
VIII ruin business here" said Mr.,
Cohen. THE European countries, ns
l sec IL, must import large quantities
or supplies, and IL seems to me that
this country Will have to furnish
them" Mir. Cohen rnade tho point that
In this event local enterprises I'm many
instsncca will have nil they can do
10 supply the Increased demand for
their products that more laborers will
be employed, ana that this will moan
more money In the pockets OF work :
men. Mr.. Cohen refused TO look upon
the dark side of tho question.
w. $. Rhoads, vice-president and
treasurer of Miller G. Rhoads, Inc.
stated last night that sales at his
storc arc even better now than during
tho Same period inst year. christmas
shoppers arc Keeping US busy" lie said.
'and we arc selling more than we did
during the Christmas season laet year.
expect this condition to continue, for
soc no reason for n decrease In bust
ness"
"NVc hear a great deal about hard
times right now" said ono merchant
last night, "but I notice people seem
to have money. Go down Broad Street
any night. and you sec hundreds
crowding into tho theatrcS and places
of amusement. Not long ago I tried
to get a seat Mt theatre FOR q show
that cost IS q throw, and found that
all OF the seats had been sold nearly
n week In advance. That doesn't looil
like hard times to me"