TRADE OF THE YEAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 December 1917, Page 6

TRADE OF THE YEAR.

! A RETROSPECTIVE VIEW. i Notwithstanding nil the adverse eondi- 1 tlons affecting business generally, which have been brought about by the great 1 world-conflict, people in almost every line ] of business speak in terms of the utmost i satisfaction regarding the amount of , trade transacted during the past twelve , months. "Surprisingly good" was in- ; variably the reply of the leading business men in New Plymouth to inquiry by a , Daily News representative, as to the general conditions during the year. In , 3ome cases the opinion was expressed in comparison with pre-war days, ihut in others h was freely conceded that there had been an increased turnover, due more to the larger volume of business than to the increased prices ruling. Some of the leading retailers said they would have been satisfied had they been able to maintain a pre-war standard of business; they were more than satisfied that the results had exceeded their most sanguine expectation?. In no case was j a diminution in business even so much as hinted at. The nearest approach "to such a condition applied only to certain lines of goods which had become increasingly difficult to obtain, or for which the price had risen to such a prohibitive figure that they no longer permitted of profitable handling. . Such lines are in the meantime being carried merely on the "hand to mouth'' basis until such time as conditions become more normal. All agreed, of course, that the question of shipping space available vitally effected the New Zealand import tra'de, but the announcement that the produce at present, in store was to be cleared within a short time was regarded as a good omen, as the vessels coming to take away the produce would bring freight to the Dominion, and importers showed an inclination to'look more hopefully to the future than had been the case prior to that announcement. DRAPERY .AND OLOTHIXC. Drapery, clothing, and allied trades report' a very satisfactory year's business. Prices in many lines have advanced, some because of the scarcity of raw material, and others because of the greatly iri- • creased co9t of production, whilst there are said to be certain goods for which manufacturers will not quote prices, and for which they can give no guarantee of delivery. Woollen goods were affected immediately war broke out, but it was some time later that cotton goods began to show an upward tendency. Xow, however, these are said to he rising by leans and hounds. The latest rise on the London market showed a rise of 70 per cent. In spite of that, however, one prominent draper said that cotton goods were being retailed in Xow Plymouth at the present time below London retail prices. It must he remembered, however, that the stocks at present held locally are those purchased before the most recent increases in prices were announced, and consequently people here are able to purchase to-day, in many cases, on the basis of last year's wholesale prices. The chief effect of the war on the drapery trade has. up to the present, been to reduce, perhaps, the range of stocks carried. This conditio!!, howover, is being accepted by the public with cheerfulness. Honey has been spent freely, and there have been few complaints regarding either stocks or prices. BOOTS AND SHOES. In the boot and shoe trade equally satisfactory business has been recorded. Though prices of the imported goods have advanced slightly and some lines have been difficult to secure, the colonial manufacturers arc said to have stepped into the breach, and have enabled retailers to maintain their stocks. One retailer stated that he was more heavily stocked at the present time than he had ever been before, and that he had had an exceedingly satisfactory year's business. IRONMONGERY. The ironmongery trade, which, of course, is not so susceptible to the Christmas season's business as other trades, has nevertheless done a gratifying amount of business over the year. The difficulty in this branch of business has been to contend with the uncertainty of supplies and the maintaining of stocks, so much of the raw material being essential to the "manufacture of munitions of war. Prices have advanced, as in every other trade, one ' instance quoted to.the News representative showing an advance of over, 400 per cent Such lines, of course, are not being stocked, and are only procured to order. GROCERIES AND PRODUCE. Grocers and produce dealers were amongst the most satisfied of business men regarding the past year's work. Despite all the disadvantages in a class of business in which tlie margin of profit is always narrow, very satisfactory results have been obtained. While some of th» imported lines are now almost unprocurable, it is regarded as evidence of the fact that people have had ample money t'o spend, when, in spite of unprecedented rises in prices, some people still insist on having certain brands of goods, even though others—in some coses locally manufactured —said to be equally useful, are obtainable at a much lower figure. The scarcity of pollard, ■ bran, and such like products was somewhat inexplicable, whilst the high cost of bacon has made that breakfast dish quite a luxurv. i FURNITURE. The furniture and cabinet-making trade has had a particularly prosperous ye».r. Notwithstanding increased cost of material, and labor difficulties, there have been good sales, and what is generally conceded is that a superior class of furniture is demanded nowadays compared with that which previously found favor. Floorings of all descriptions are increasingly difficult to obtain, even at greatly increased prices. BUILDING TRA'DE. The building trade has been steadily maintained. Though conditions are far from normal and several local contracts of considerable magnitude are known to have been held in suspense pending the termination of the war, still there have been a number of works that have kept the trade fairly busy, tl is the price of builders' hardware and paints, more than timber, that has kept back the building of dwelling-houses and some business premises. Timber prices are said, howover, to be likely to rise in the near future, whilst the increased freight and railway charges, on cement in particular, are likely to still further increase the cost of building. Supplies of local timber have been well maintained, but imported timbers are more difficult to procure. PROSPECTS FOR NEXT YEAR"; Whilst practically no 'business man spoken to was in the least pessimistic with regard to the future, most of them »f oke with caution rggardiip-ikt W&yolc

for 1018. It wa.s generally recognised that the future was shrouded in uncertainty, and that as certain lines of goods now held were cleared out it would be practically impossible to replace them, and how to meet the demands of the public was the problem that would test the business acumen of those for the control of business houses. Further increases in prices are generally regarded as inevitable, and where the rises will cease no one at present can say. The universal expression of the responsible heads of business houses was of appreciation of the manner in which the public had accepted the circumstances over which neither the business people nor their clients had any-control. They also expressed their belief that any new circumstances which might arise, and which might cause even greater hardships than had been felt up to the present, would be met in an equally conciliator}' spirit.