Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-01
TRADE BOOM SEEN
BY COL. FR|EDSAM
Mead Of Big Dry Goods Com
pany Preparing for Pick
Up in the Fall
WORST DEPRESSION GONE

New York, June There are about
the same number Of dry goods stores in
the United States as there are daily
newspapers. They constitute vast reser =
voirs for merchandise, each establish
ment carrying from 81 200, 900 to $40, e
000, 900 worth.
What Is true Of one store Is es-
sentially true Of another In respect of
prices and the business outlook. Any
leading New York store Is a fair bar =
ometer OF similar stores In Philadel.
phia, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco
and the other population centers Of
che country. Prices are down every =
where.
"For the next few months we can
expect only q fair trade as Il viii be
q quiet summer" Colonel Michael
Eriedsam, the erudite and silver crested
head Of r. Altman & Company. said
yesterday when asked for his best guess
on the outlook. ''In the early fall /
expect good steady business to develop
and gradually from then on the slack
lines will pick up. There is neither
cause for worry nor need for alarm
We have passed through the worst Of
the post war depression, and are well
on the upgrade"
And Colonel Friedsam does not be-
long to that school Of optimists which
can never see the worn side Of n piece
OF tapestry. He says that ne carries
no rose -colored glasses In his pockets,
and that when he talks Of good times
ahead. he sees them coming
A dry goods merchant rubs elbows
with the public upon all social planes:
Henry Fitz- -Alwyn, the first Lord
Mayor of London, was a dry goods
merchant, in England called "a drap-
m." There used to he guilds of drap
eSs, for instance, one being merchants
confined to the retailing of woolen
cloths, another being merchants who
dealt In linen goods, and so Oh; In the
United States We have all the kinds
Of drapers merged into dry goods mer-
chants, who conduct the department
stores.
In view Of the establishment Of
branch banks, and the dotting Of the
suburbs with neighborhood theatres,
Colonel Friedsam was asked for his
opinion as to the possibility Of depart
nent stores in the large cities ever
opening branch stores in the Uutly-
ing districts.
Branch Stores Unlikely
81 do not think that will ever come"
he said. THE telephone by which
orders can be placed at even great
: distance, and the parcel post and cx-
press by which these orders can be
promptly filed, centralize the dry
goods business. There is no necessity
TOR branch stores, and what would go
into their rents. duplication Of EN-
ployes and other overhead expenses,
makes for cheaper prices at the central
point. The cost Of telephone and ship
ment is negligible, as against the up
keep Of a branch store.
'Of course, the public, both near
and far, must be sure of service, quail
ity and value. 1t takes years and
years to build up a reputation that
needs only an announcement in the
advertising columns Of the newspapers
to bring orders. Once this reputation
Is established. however. the business
responds sometimes at a volume that
Is unexpected in its scope and volume.
Take our own store here. although we
call ourselves a Manhattan enterprise
we take telephone orders from four
states besides New York. and I assume