The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-01
Figures of Previous Year Sur
passed by approximately
Million and Three-quartcrs
JOBBlNG TRADE UP
TO LAST YEARS TOTALS
Notwithstanding Business Stag
nation of Early Months the
Aggregate Trade Was Great
er Than 1914

The manufacturing and iebhtrg
trades In Richmond have experienced
their most successful year. Gains are
shown all along the line ia the sta-s
tistics complied by J. Ii. Witty for
the Richmond Chamber of Commences
lin number of establishments. la
number of hands employed. IN
amounts of capital invested and In ass-
nuai sales. The comparative state
ment of the business of 1915 with the
business of 1914 shows that prosperity
is herein Richmond.
Figures footing the long columns
which anaiyxe the manufacturing and
johhing business of Richmond--iines
Of business activities which make
Richmond the most important Soutli-
ern Industrial and commercial, as well
as financial, center--are:
Manufacturing.
Number of establishments, 1914
o,oes; 1915, 2,e35.
Number Of hands employed. 1914.
2s,2Tss 1915. 2s,7aI.
Capital employed, 1914, s3s,as9.-e
$50: 1915, s36,Ss7, 4so,
Annual sales 1911, s5as11a n go
lIal5, s9a,75s;76a
Jobbing Totals.
The footingS of the iobbings tables
follow:
Capital in business 1914, sls.7e6.-
$50; 1918, s13.72T, 545.
Annual trade, 1914. s7e,siI, 40a:
1915, s7a,s33.52s
Though the margins in the jobhing
business are small. Richmond dis
trihuting houses find more than cefn
fort In the fact that the closing
months of the year have been those
chat gave the business impetus fs1ak
nut 1915 ahead of 1914. The earlier
months of the year did not equal. IA
totals. in volume of business, orders
and collections. to the early months
~ 1914. The cause of falling Oft IN
early months were unsettled condi-
tions in the South. the great cotton
industry. due to the european va
which caused much business stagna-
ton. especially In the South III the
cIosing months of 1914 and the nrst
half of 1915.
Moro Men Vow Employed.
one of the most interesting things
shown by Mr.. Whitty's compilarion ~
that there are now employed some
9. 500 more men in industries In Rich
mond. than year ago. s
In 1914 there were in RlchmGn0
. eoe concerns employing 26.219 men.
asst year there were 2,03! employing
aXTar Though there are shown bur
|, wenty-eight more manufacturing COM
Germs at work there are 2,44s mor~
men given employment. \ most satls-
factory conclusion is drawn from this
fact. There are nearly $500 nofe
hreadwinners, earning good pay, Tran
there were one year ago
Retail Business Gains.
The effect Of such condition nf ervs-
pIoyment Is being felt in all deparf-
ments OF local business actfrttNss
especially in the retail business OF the
city. Members OF the Retail Msks
chants Association of Richmcnd GFa
reporting that the year just eanse4 w30s
the most successful they have evers
known There are hundreds Of huste
ness concerns doing retail business IN
this city who are not affiliatcd With the
body. and because Of this fact II u
impossible to gain any idea as to what
the actual retail business in Richmond
during the year footed mp
That an enormous sum OF n1nilkY
has been left with local retail nlNrAA
tchants during 19l5--a larger Sias1A
than in any year in history. execut
possibly 1918. which was rerK~dS
business year---is certain.
Never before has so much husinSSaS
been done as in the last four ar ma
months of 1915, according 20 yMxSfsE
and Main Street merchants. said M
A. Clarke, secretary of the Retat Mcr-
chants Association of Rfchmonds klste
night SSsl
The year just ended was Z record
maker. Every member of our asstt-s,
citation is expressing satisfaction artis
all are looking 10 1916 for even greatly
business Nineteen-fourteeu MAS alag
Off year. because of the war. and Eielas
lmond like the rest OF the country sur .sS
Tered. but 1915 was much hCtter @1
good as 1918, the best year in hlStcfx.