Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-24
FUREY ELLIS
Talks on General Business Situation

Talks on General Business Situation
T1HE spring will see the inauguration of n
l. great improvement in business conditions
Of all kinds, according to Furey Ellis, the
newly elected president Of the City Business
Club. go. ,,r,.
things are not now nearly so bad as some
people represent but according to the out
look Of the members of the City business
Club, which represents a great many an
fcrent and highly diversified lines, conditions
will be n great deal better as soon as the
winter Is over. Many Of our members be-
lieve that the buyers have the money to buy,
if they wish to do so, but the trouble Is to
get them to spend il. Others complain OF
the difficulty in collecting.
But these conditions are not peculiar 10
PHILADELPHIA they exist to the same or to an
even greater degree in all the large business
centers. We are inclined to think that busi;
ness is worse than 1t really Is on account OF
the high level which was reached in so many
lines during the war years and the period
which Immediately followed. But this was
due to a high stimulation and thus n con-
dition which could not possibly exist per-
mancntly. The inevitable reaction, there
fore was the more kcenly felt and seemed
to be much worse than 1t actually was.
Business Generally Good
"At present ! should say that generally
speaking, business is pretty good. There Is
In n good many lines. but there is very real
prosperity underlying it. Take, for eX-
ample, the automobile trade. 4 good many
persons who formerly bought n new car
every year are this year having the e one
oyerhaulcd and repaintcd to do servl Tor
another season. but nt the same time, con-
slider the immense crowds at the recent
Automobile Show here
''There was surely no lack OF interest in
the automobile, to judge from the attend
aLa ,hn,, Of ,.u Nk.hI Inl
were sold. This interest must have direct
and highly beneficial influence on the
trade within very short time.
Then there are other lines which Hre
represented in our club which report that
they have all the business which they can
comfortably handle. What these people will
do IL there is the rush of business in the
spring which so many anticipate and pre-
dict. I do not know, but it is safe to say
that they will find some means of taking
care Of It.
Some Won't Hustle
"rhen there is another type OF business
man and one with which l have not much
sympathy. He is the man who complains
bitterly that business is bad and Mt the same
time he will not get out and hustle to make
II better for himself. No matter what the
general conditions are, all the average bust
ness man needs Is ambition, courage and
determination to get the business, and he
/ Wlll succeed Ill BtltlIb II, lHe buSlHtsS 10
always there II man will go after 1t with
determination and, Of course, using some
brains as to the methods which are needed
in the vnrous lines Of work,
'I think that the war has Il good deal TO
do with this attitude, which is more COM
! mon than good many persons suspect.
| was overseas during the greater part of the
war, and therefore ! cannot speak of con-
ditions at home from first hand knowledge,
! but all the information which | have re-
cclved as to business conditions in the
! United States during that period is practi-
cAly to the same ehect.
business came so easy during the war
| period and during part Of the period of re-
! adjustment which followed 1t that business
men became in Il measure accustomed to get
! ting business without working very hard
| for It; in fact, in good many cases the
| business came to them.
/ The Inevitable Result
"'ILe result Of this was inevitable When
| war conditions ceased TO prevail and the
| period of free spending which history shows
always to follow any great conflict was
| over. business again had to be sought. The
| competition of former times was resumed and
| instead of business coming unsought, il
| became again work to get 1t from the re-
newed competition.
This led many to complain Of hard times
| As n matter OF fact, all that was harder
was the work that was required. ANY ac-
| cretion of business Is easy to accept but
| when things become duller largely because of
competition and not essentially because of
| general conditions, the answer is more and
| harder work and no complaints which might
) shake the business confidence Of the com
| munity. All business men Of this and other
| cities have not strictly followed this plan,
III they had, both they and the business