West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-12-30
The Business Boom

The industrial activity OF the nation
is so much in evidence that even ths
political panic preachers no longer
question it. The boom is unprece-
dented. No one can deny the truth
that there is employment for every
man who wants 1t. With work abund-
ant the people are we'll supplied with
money, and the Wholesale and retail
merchants report that they are spend
ing II freely. The countrys holiday
trade has assumed such proportions
that some of the dealers are begin
ming to be app ehensive OF higher
prices as result OF the depletion of
stocks. The New York Times i'm an
article in which a prediction OF "seyen
years OF plenty" is made, publishes
this optimistic resume of business:
with every mill i'm the country
running at capacity production, with
the Golfers OF the savings banks more
| crowded than for years, with more
men and women remuneratively en-
ployed than ever before in the present
generation, with retail dealers sending
hurry orders TO manufacturers for
more goods and consumers seizing the
goods almost as fast as they are
placed in stock-with everybody max
ing more and spending more-and
saving more. too--than at any time
since 1907, only the professional or
purblind pessimist now utters howls
of calamity"
This is not an exaggerated state-
ment OF conditions: II is sustained by
reports from some OF the country's
biggest mercantile establishments
Managers OF Gimbel's. oppenheim's
McCreery's. Saks and other big do
partment stores in the metropolis say
they are having the largest Christmas
trade In their history. Last Saturday
the rain poured down In torrents in
New York, but all the establishments
mentioned had extra sales forces. and
were compelled to call on the police
TO assist them in keeping the throngs
OF buyers moving through the aisles.
Mail order houses like Altman & Co.,
Simon g. Co, of New York, and Mar
shall Field & Co, OF Chicago, all re-
port an enormous increase over tho
volume of business In the correspond-
ing period last year. with collections
exceptionally good.
IL Is noteworthy also that staple
business as distinguished from Christ
mas business is waxing at this season
when II is usually retarded by the
holiday rush. Dun's report says that
while December "is ordinarily month
or diminishing activity" this year "the
tendency is steadily toward expansion
rather Than contraction" Bradstreet's
report that contrary to precedent the
larger trades do not display the GUS
tomary pre-holiday characteristics.
but that activity is so steadily main
tanned that statesmen are remaining
on the road longer than usual. and
most reports agree that Wholesale as
well as jobbing trade is OF large VOL
ume"
These conditions are not confined
TO the big cities. Trade is booming in
Wheeling. and in every other commun-
ity' large or small. Not only are the
people buying more freely, but they
are buying better grades OF merchan-
disc. There appears to be a reaction
from the long period Of economy
which followed the period OF 1907.
With 80 much prosperity next satur-
day should be the merriest Christmas
the United States has ever experien-
ced.-Wheeling Register.