San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-19
:. H. 0chs of Wolff and
Marx, Back From East,
Declares Business Better.
GOOD CROPS In SIGHT
City Confronted With Pc
Rod of Development and
Outlook Bright.

going TO have one Of the best fall anu
winter seasons in many years" said
II. II. Ochs, merchandise manager OF
Wolff & Marx, who returned recently
from New York and other eastern
points. Mr.. Ochs based this opinion
on general conditions but especially
the cotton crop ard the improved sit
ustion on the ranches. His comment
was based on a statement he had
made just prior thereto, that the
Wolff & Marx Company was increaS-
ing its buying allowances TO the vari-
Gus departments considerably. based
on the general business outlook the
country over but more especially in
San Antonio.
You understand that merchants
engaged in retailing as extensively as
the Wolff & Marx Company must
keep in touch as closely as possible
with the general conditions not only
in their immediate territory but coun-
try-wide. This we endeavor to do along
a system of our own and We have just
tabulated our figures which show con-
clusively that San Antonio is improv-
ing very rapidly. This applies not only
10 our sales but also TO our collections
and TO various other factors that have
O bearing on a retail store.
City Is Sound.
II do not think most Of us appre-
ciate the wonderful resourcefulness Of
San Antonio. Few of US stor to real
lie that this city went through dis
astrous flood that would have set
back some cities for decade yet we
recovered so very rapidly that We
failed TO even count the cost Then,
too, last year saw a serious situation
among the ranch owners and cattle
men, many Of whom were hard up.
The farmers also did not get a fair
price for cotton and did not make as
much of a crop in some parts of South
Texas as they had anticipated. All OF
these factors had an adverse influ.
ence on business here vet our figures
show that business held up to above
normal right through TO the present
time and it is today better than nor
NAL.
Compared with last year, it Is
holding the gains that it should be ex.
pected to show for steady growth and
expansion along conservative lines. Ii
other words, San Antonio took up al
the slack made by the flood losses ans
cattle losses and bad cotton prospects
and still did a normal business. Nov
we are approaching a fall with fine
cotton crops, no flood aftermath, 10
sorely pressed cattlemen-in fact, with
everything in our favor. 1t is almost a
cinch that we are going to dc possibly
90 per cent increase in business in
nearly every line.
Many Years in Business.
Il have been with this store more
than 20 years and engaged in retail
merchandising all of that time. l do
not claim to be an authority on the
subject but / have had considerable
experience in gauging business condi
tons here and to me it looks very en-
couraging. We little realize how well
off We are here until we see some
places not so well off. San Antonio is
growing rapidly. The expansion is
steady but comprehensive and without
Mysteries. 1t is good, solid, expansion
and is permanent.
Il recall very well, indeed, ten years
ago when we moved from our little
two-story location to our new build
ing down here on Houston street. 1t
was somewhat of an adventure and
dire things were forecast for us by
some of our pessimistic friends. Re-
member that we picked up and moved
almost outside Of the retail district o.
San Antonio. But we had faith in our
judgment and above all. faith in Sau
Antonio. Since that time, the Brady
building, the Bank of Commerce build
ing. the Frost building, the Lee Hotel
building and various other buildings
are in the heart of Greater San An
tonic doing bigger business than we
dreamed possible when we moved IN
here. On that occasion, can recall
how empty our big store looked. We
had goods enough to fill our two-story
building but here we had seven floors.
We couldn't fill the shelves. The
seventh floor we left entirely vacant.
We took everything out Of the stock
rooms and put the merchandise on the
shelves in order to make as much
showing as possible and still we didn't
have enough goods.
Their Tenth Anniversary,
~Today we are celebrating the tenth
anniversary in our new building
Every shelf and counter is piled higr
with merchandise and the stock room
also are filled. We are selling mori
goods in a week today than we uscC
to sometimes sell in a number o
weeks.
'In view Of all that I have seen. i
is my belief that San Antonio il
destined to grow very rapidly in tn
next year or so and the Wolff & Mar,
Company is outlining its business OF
that basis. We were not disappointe,
when we took the plunge ten year
ago. San Antonio justified our faitl
and our vision and we believe tn
next ten years will do the same thing
In my opinion San Antonio in the las
two years has not had a really norma
condition but believe we are norma
now and that times are going TO b
very good here"
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