Year: 1877

That the commercial transactions
this great metropolis have diminished


under the baneful influences OK the
political situation needs but the bare
assertion to bring It's truth to the mind
Of every individual, be he engaged In
commerce or In the field OF industry,
no matter which, so long as he has the
fortune or misfortune to dwell within
the domain Of the once proud Louisi-
ana.


From the laboring classes, earning
their scant support by the labor Of their
hands, with the most persistent in
dustry,. up to the capitalist, whose
wealth has laid idle for so long time,
there are none In our commonwealth
upon whom the present distracted
condition Of affairs has not brought to
bear the weight OF its monstrous inertia.
That the effect OF the present situation
might be more fully learned and appre-
oiated, and to place before our readers
the true situation OF our trade and COM
merce, yesterday afternoon reporter OF
the DEMOCRAT visited over seventy-fve
wholesale business houses In the city,
and from the proprietors cleaned opin.
ions as to the effect upon business OF
the present situation.


Realizing the fact that In insurance
true gauge might be found upon whose
test careful judgment might be formed
relative to the business OF our State,
visit was first paid to the leading insur-
ance agency OF the city, and one where
probably more policies are issued per
annum than In any other insurance bu-
reau here. The reason for taking the
| insurance OF stocks OF goods as fair
criterion was this: Merchants who
are the most watchful observers
Of passing events, political or
otherwise, always are careful to
secure under the protecting ngis of in
surance any addition to the stock occa-
stoned by an increase in the demand.
When trade Is brisk and where ventures
are many, dealers have no hesitancy in
making large additions to. their stock,
and naturally these additions are indi-
Gated by an increase in their policies.
When interviewed, one of the oldest
and most experienced insurance agents
gave expression to the following views
on the


CONDITION OF THINGS IN OUR STATE:


Reporter" Would you be kind
enough, Colonel, to give In brief your
opinion on the effect upon trade and
commerce In general, OF the present un-
settled condition Of affairs In louisiana,
that is to say, why 1t Is that there seems
to be such falling off In business here
when crops and other Industrial pros
poets look bright ?"


The Colonel, who Is man Of high at
tainments, responded: "I suppose you
want my opinion only so far as 1t may
go with reference to insurance, and that
l will very cheerfully give you. AS
you know. there are three classes OF
insurance river, fire and marine. |
Now, what affects one Of these
does not in the least affect
the other. A foreign war might have a
very strong influence on marine insur-
ance, when 1t would not In the least be
felt in fire. So tits with politics. What
affects domestic-that Is to say State
insurance-is very different from what
affects life or marine policies. In re-
gard to fire policies, which are divided
again into city and country. l can safely
say that owing to the present unsettled
condition OF our State government there
has been a shrinkage OF fully 33a per
cent on merchandise, stocks and build
ing policies.


ment Of the fall trade it has always
been the custom to insure for what Is
called short policy, that Is for four to
six months, the increase In their stock to
meet the demand for such trade.
This year there has been but very,
very few Of these policies issued and
it shows that our merchants, no matter
in what trade, have not been willing to
take risks and increase their stocks dur
ing the present complications. This
rule applies to the heaviest dry goods,
grocery, boot and shoe and furnishing
goods trade, which furnishes the luxu-
ries, and therefore show how far the peo-
pie have reduced their expenditures to


THE BARE NECESSITIES. Il


"Outside OF these general stocks, the
presses has diminished remarkably,
and the ratio warrants the opinion
that it is due to the complexities Of poll
tics here"


After pleasant interchange Of views,
the reporter left, and next met


MR.. JOHN /. ADAMS.
whose long and busy life in the whole
sale grocery business here gives to his
opinion weight second to none.
Mr., Adams said, in answer to
the inquiry as to the effect exerted upon
trade by the political complications
in Louisiana, that he could safely say
that it was most damaging. Country
buyers now purchase only sufficient
goods to meet present demands, and
dare not take risks, SO uncertain were
doubt" said he, but that il our State
government was settled, and Gen.
Nichols placed in power, we. would
have brisk summer trade here" In the
grocery line, he remarked, there has
been most marked diminution within
the last few months, and our country
trade holds off, waiting for settlement
of affairs.


Mr., Adams further expressed his
opinion thatgit was due entirely to poll
tics that this depressed condition OF
trade was SO general.


The next merchant visited was Mr.. A.
MoN WIN Id the nrnpriator Of that