The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-01-03
MERCHANTS AND DEALERS OF
MADISON REVIEW BUSI-
NESS OF 1918.
OPTOMlSTIC SENTIM ENT
DEALERS ENGAGED In ALI.
LINES REFER TO PAST YEAR
AS A PROSPEROUS ONE.

ventories are being taken to discover
the stocks on hand and the volume
of business that has been done dur
ing the year just closed. Business
men r interested in this, since a
partial forecast of buying and selling
conditions for months ahead can be
quite accurately guaged, though, of
course, the country reverting back to
a peace basis must necessarily cause
considerable changes for, perhaps,
the latter months of 1919, but be-
yond that few can make reasonable
predictions, except along broad gen.
eral lines.
AS a whole the country at large
has enjoyed a high tide of prosperity
with wages On the upward slant and
farm products bringing the very top
notch of prices. This state has
shared in the general prosperity and
the pulse of business shows condi-
lions favorable to greater expansion
this present year. South Dakota's
products consisting of grains, food
stuffs and meats, rises to the aston
ishing figure of 1884 900 900 for
the past IL months. This is the sta
~tistical valuation.
Each city and village in South Da-
kota has come to its own in the mat
ter of trade during the year 1918,
and Madison comes strongly in with
its quota of business prosperity.
An unthinking person might judge
that the drives for war activities and
Liberty loans, plus the high cost of
living and such disturbing factors as
the war and the epidemic would
rather retard the upward trend of
trade and dampen business ardor
more or less effectively. Though ap-
parently true, this, however, and for
t~unately, is not the case, since testi-
mony to the contrary of that suppo-
sition is forthcoming from the bust
ness men of Madison who are in a
position to know.
The year 1918 has served Madison
well so far as business is concerned,
WuClnCl VIC diOhS lAhhhSiah W hiO
chandising lines. True, the epidemic
has been a factor to some extent in
retarding temporarily, at brief inter
walls, the large seasonal volumes OF
business expected, but offsetting this
when the buying was done it was for
better goods and in greater bulk than
ordinarily.
!, In order to ascertain the truth
about the volume of business trans.
acted in Madison the past year q
Daily Leader reporter personally in
terviewed a goodly number Of lead
ing merchants and dealers of thi!
city and there follows below theil
statements quoted verbatim:
Increased business for 1918 ant
still better outlook for 1919. W.
believe that ours is a business o.
, steady growth.-Miss l.. B. Morse.
The years business for 1918 hal
: been far in excess of expectations
? especially the second half of thu
year. The holiday business was thu
best ever We expect the year 191!
to be much better than the past year
III. Osborn.
Business has been EXCEPTIONAL!
good all year.-G. 1. Wilkinson.
The business for 1918 was better
than that of 1917.-George Beck.
No fault to find with business TIL
past year. / think the coming yea
will be better.-E. l.. Peck.
Business has been surprisingl,
good, and / look for things to keeI
up well.-E. l.. Kelley.
: Our business during the past yea
. of 1918 has been the best ever.-E
H. D. vreyens.
Business was exceptionally goo
considering existing conditions. Big
gest business we have done sine
coming to Madison.-J. f. Runche,
Business has been extremely goo
under existing conditions and coul
not have been better. The outloo
is exceptionally good.-Hackett
Sutton.
Business made a good showing an
, for 1918 there was a nice increase
: Dakota State Bank.
j. w. Walden, chairman of tn
. Liberty loan committee is optimist
about the next loan of $5,00O,OO
- which is forecast for April mex
! Lake county will be called on Il
something like 100000. In 191
the citizens of Lake county place
i 800, 900 in bonds.
1. The 1918 business has been
IL good as we could wish for and bett,
than we anticipated. No kick {
anything except the kaiser.-Tl
Home Supply Company.
We have increased our busine
33 1-3 per bent over that Of 1917.
look for business to remain go'
! with no drop in prices until anoth