Year: 1871

close of the War.


In conversation with prominent importers of
French goods, it is ascertained that the effect of
the close of the Franco Prussian war will not be
very marked Immediately, but that the summer
and fall trades will be materially affected
When the siege of Paris became Imminent the
tradesmen and merchants of that capital hurried
out their goods as fast as they could, and threw
them into the English markets, getting them
out of the country by the ports then open and
in this way glutted the English markets to
such an extent as to depreciate the value of the
goods.


American merchants took advantage of this
state of affairs, and purchased literally which
will account for the excessive importations
during the last half of 1870 and thus far in the
present year. The manufacturers of merinoes
who have their establishments on the Belgian
frontier, have been in the practice of making up
their goods at their factories, and sending them
to Paris to be dyed and packed for shipment.
The siege of Paris prevented the prosecution of
this course, and consequently they were obliged
to dye the goods in the manufactures and ship
through Belgium. The merinos were thrown
upon the market in an imperfect state and
e'iserably packed, and the manufacturers sus-
tanned considerable loss thereby. Now that the
siege of Paris has been raised, the goods can
again be sent to that city, and as they will not
be wanted until the fall trade ample time will
be given to finish them in the usual manner.


Silks and yelvets have been very low during
the war, by reason of the enormous supply on
the market but it is expected that the price of
raw silk will advance Immediately, as also the
price of labor throughout France, and that
hereafter, and for many years, the prices of
silks and velvets will be greatly enhanced. The
fact is pointed out that during our own civil
war the prices OF material and labor were ad-
vanced to point from which there has even
now been little reduction, though ten years have
elapsed since the breaking out of the war. The
French people have been impoverished to a cer
tain eXtent they have an enormous debt to
discharge, and it is not reasonable to expect
n a n a will oar nm
at ante belunl prices.


The population has been reduced by the
ravages of war, large manufacturing districts
have been laid waste, and the people of France
must and will demand a greater price for their
labor and the results thereof than they ever did
before. Taking this view of the condition of
affairs in which peace finds France, the import
ers do not see how it is possible for French
goods to be any lower than they are now, aud
expect that they will appreciate in value from
thirty to fifty per cent.


The same may be said of German goods The
people of Germany have been compelled to sa-
crifice their industrial occupations, and it is
unreasonable to expect that they will be ena-
bled to return to them for many months. They,
too, have a heavy load of debt to carry, and the
prices of labor and material must advance in
the same proportion that they will in France
The immediate effect of the war
was seen in the advance in the
price of wines and imported liquors, which
continue at the high rate, and will there remain
for some time. 1t is thought that the French
will rapidly recuperate, for they have been a
proy6ent people, have lived cheaply, and most
of the laboring classes managed to lay up
money in times of prosperity. They will now
avail themselves of the funds which they have
left In store to start afresh and not only wipe
out their own score of debt, but enable the Gov
ernment to pay the indemnity demanded by the
conquerOr