Putnam patriot., 1926-01-01
CHRISTMAS TRADE
 SHOWS FALLING OFF
O. E. Wulf, Chairman of mer- ehantS Committee, Sizes
 Up the Situation
Bank Failure and Thrift of Citizens
 Two Factors

0. r. Wulf. chairman of Che mer- chants committee Of She Putnam 1 Chamber ef Commerce. member Of the firm of Bugbee 6 Wuf, has added to statement he recently gave out of the holiday retail business ln Put nam. two more reasons why the Vel- ume of sales shrunk considerably this year as compared with previous years since 1920.
 Mr Wulf called attention to the fact that people have become more thrifty. This may be due to thrift campaigns 0r Co | general feeling that under present financial conditions tn Putnam it + well te lay by a part of ones earnings However. Mf Wef believes this spirit of thrift was a factor iu less generous spending. hls praHeHezs ta conserve and save vas also evidenced in the nature of gifts bought These were not the eXpen- sive gifts of previous years. This may be due Co the thrift spirit augmented in many instances bY the fact that the buyer did not have as much Co
 pend and therefore had to buy cheap er articles te make his allowance Tor Christmas shopping cover the ground.
 Last Week Improves
 Nr. Wulf said that beginning the Saturday before Christmas and con tinuiug untH Christmas Eve business n ihe stores was almost equal in vol gme ta that of previous years bat that prior to Saturday there was very material shrinkage in sales.
 He said his statement is based on the volume of trade al his oWn store and hy personal observation and he believes this Co be fair statement Of local conditions
 ln accounting for Che falling of in the volume pf business Mir Walf gives the failure of the First National Bank as perhaps Che most outstanding reason He feels that thf effects of this failure can not wear away n a year or H~d Then there was | slump tu textile manufacturing thc failure of fhc largest manufacturing con corn in fhc city. and the closing of other niils engaged in manufacturing cotton doth One uf the nails has been bought bg tHe Blizzard Bloom Company Inc. which Mn Nuif be Heee- sail eventually mean q much mare desirable 4Hd more suhstantial udu=fHs At pHeeHa ihe #iIl ie #a=t rgtfTn =farfad and there H- uaH been
 ufHfIUE rHe elapsed tHaL thf s,aftet have begun srHatI# 70 heagiit from
 Nf NaG Ilades fa fhe aaeaHaaeY uf fHf taHF HiII 0u tureHz ztrezt, ilas aIz and 5 sHadaai zIss EaH maHf uaathel promising featase af tha fmmadinto futurf
 Conditions General
 Aside from strictly facd eoudi- tiauz Nr Wuif said thaf Putnam is faeiHg Che same situation as H al New England according 10 what he has learned from travelling satcsmeu in touch with conditions and there s marked general decrease in what bc terms strictly Christmas husi ness
 Another factor to contend with Is the installment plan of merchandis- ing This has never been SO greatly advertised and patronized us at pres eut Weekly payments ranging from one 10 len dollars. which have been contracted for. have to be met and, having paid these obligations. there is little remaining in reserve for the purchase of other things Mir Wulf considers this Co be but temporary item that he believes Co be passing
 Mir Wulf sees many encouraging signs for the return to prosperity in this city The two mercantile banks where there was but enc the bright ar outlook in the manufacturing in- dustty on which Putnam depends for Che employment of a large percentage of fts populations: the fact chat the EcW silk plant wlll soon be running #to capacity, and the wonderfully op- tomistlc spirit of Che citizens of Put