Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-02-12
VILE HURST, ECONOMIC AUTHORITY

Vile Hurst, finance an traffic editur
O. tn Weekly Slip Horn, contributes
highly illuminatin' article on business
conditions in Fridays issue. His con-
clusionS are given t. tn public after
painstakin' survey an are refreshinly
frank an clear, with no effort made
IT magnify or minimize conditions as
he found 'em. TIL raw facts are laid
bare. TIL reader kin use his own
judgment. Theirs nothin' alarmin'
about his report. Rather we find much
that is encouragin' t. tn wage Garner
an investor alike, an undoubtedly tn
general trend is toward better times,
nothin' big, perhaps, but a general
looSenin' up. Some diScouragin Situ-
ations have been dragged int tn open,
but we must not allow 'em t. dis
hearten us or blind us t. much that
is good an promisin Transient busi-
ness at tn New Palace hotel is tn
worst in years, but tn tri-county
Shrine gatherin' fer tn first week O.
June is expected t. balance things up,
| an carry tn hotel over till fall, when
! tn beds are expected t. fill up agin
TIL blacksmith shop hain't doin' any,
thing, but tn sody fountain an maga-
zine department, added in December,
more'n pay tn overhead. TIL Empo-
rum is doin' some little dry-goodS
business, an tn glassware department
reports Sherbet glasses wovin salts
factorily. DraperieS an petticoatS are
| sluggish, but tn hot dog steam table
an slot phone had tn best January
in seven years. TIL tile works took
little squirt Monday, but closed down
agin' Friday till next Thursday. 1t
wlIz a bad coal January, but that is
explained as resultin' largely from tn
cost per ton. 1t is believed that a
zero February II relieve tn fuel situa-
ton t. some extent. January marked
tn first month in which Spats Wu2
ever sold here, tn sales exhaustin' tn
supply. Silk hose show no let down,
an keepin' supplies has been tn prin-
cipal concern of our merchants. TIL
demand fer cocktail shakers has con-
tinued brisk since tn first o tn year,
when considerable fallin' off Wuz nat
urally expected. However, tn sale O.
these contraptions is SO widely distrib-
uted that no single merchant seems t
have tn edge, unless it would be
Bentley's harness store. Also Joe
Means, tn florist, sells a heap O. 'em.
They're a poplar side line fer most
any business. Mrs. Joe Spry, our
leadin' hemstitcher, sold 18 around
Christmas time. TIL o. K. livery
barn is attributed t. tn auto, which
is here t. stay. Our auto business
seems flourishin' enough, but it hain't
what it should be- This is explained
by so much tradin' in. Pianner buSi-
ness is indifferent, an way below for
mer years, OWN, no doubt, t tn
general an widespread collapse O. tn
home as a place O. entertainment.
Theirs been an alarmin' fallin' off O.
after-supper business downtown, candy
stores an picture houses Sufferin'
thereby. This situation kin, O. course,
be traced directly t. tn radio, a COM
paratively new diversion which is eX-
pected t. gradually wear down t
somethin' borderin' on sanity after
ever'buddy gifts fed up on banjo solos
put on tn air at Nashville, Tenn.
Precious stones are at a standStill
OWN t. costume jewelry bein' all tn
rage. Skirt plays have starved t
death at Melodeon Hall, but some
rather pretentiouS musical" shows
have pulled down considerable money.
Our library announces a most graft
fyin' demand fer darin'ly frank fic-
ton, an a new pool table wuz un-
yelled at tn Smoke House tn first o
tn month.
Copyright, John F. Ollie Coz
- ~--~>-~----~-