THE PASSING YEAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 3015, 27 December 1911, Page 37

THE PASSING YEAR.

DUNEDIN COMMERCIALLY PROSPEROUS.

ALL TRADES ON THE UP-GRADE.

Dunedin, ae a general rule is optimistic in its expressed public opinion, but for the major portion of the year now drawing to an end there have not been wanting those who have freely stated that the city’s trade was in the decline, and that, whilst the credit was as good as ever, the volume of trade done could not at all favourably compare to-day with that of previous years. The quidnuncs affirmed, with what looked like authoritative force, that commercially Dunedin was on 'the down grade. With the view, therefore, of ascertaining how the current year compared, in regard to business, with previous years, reporters of the Otago Daily Times were yesterday set to work to gather information. In the inquiries made, every department of industry was covered, and ae near as possible an expression of opinion was got from representative traders—not only big men, but small men, both wholesale and retail. The object of the inquiries was not to ascertain what was the state of trade in December —the Christmas trade —but the state of the trade throughout the year. There was an almost unanimous answer; and that was: “Our business this year is well ahead of any other year on record.” It was very generally assumed that the unseasonable summer would have proved disastrous to the drapery trade. That this has not been the case is proved by the evidence given by six out of seven houses, well distributed throughout the city, that this year’s business up to the present date is ahead of that of last year, and in two instances constitutes a record. It was generally admitted that in seasonable light stuffs there was a considerable shortage on anticipated sales, but on the other hand the demand for heavier garments and rain-cloaks had more than made up for the deficiency in sales on the regular summer materials. As one retail softgoods merchant sa’d : “ The sale of light seasonable goods has not been so large as formerly, owing to the continuous wet weather, but on the other hand there has been a demand for weightier garments, which has more than counterbalanced the apparent loss on the seasonable goods.” This statement was confirmed by the heads of two other retail houses, which might fairly well be termed representative. In regard to the wholesale trade, grocery, hardware, and soft goods, but one opinion was expressed* —namely, that the past year was one of undoubted prosperity. Trade throughout had been good, and not only had orders been freely coming in, but, and, from a business point of view a not unsignificant factor, money had also been easily obtainable. There has this year been a greater immunity from bad debt® than for many years past, and this opinion was confirmed by retailers as well as by wholesale firms. The experience of the retail drapers was repeated in regard to retailers generally, and perhaps the greatest evidence of the soundness of the city’s trade this year is to be found in this : that the inquiries showed that the bookselling and jewellery and silverware businesses not only showed no decline, but, on the other hand, a satisfactory increase in the volume of trade. Both of these trades deal in commodities which, must be regarded more or less as luxuries, and are the first to feel the pinch of depression. That they are buoyant is in itself a proof of Dunedin’s stability. The manager of a large retail drapery firm in the centre of the city, when approached, said : ‘“The weather has had a serious effect upon all light seasonable stuff, and the absence of sunshine has naturally affected trade in all departments where these classes of garments have demanded sunshine, and generally it has had a depressing effect upon business. The Christinas trade is up to the usual standard, but as far as future prospects are concerned it would take a very clever man to predict or give an idea.. What w.ith the indications of labour troubles and the general unrest that is being experienced it would be hard to say what things will be like from a trade point of view in the future. Even if the weather takes up and a fine autumn is experienced it would not have a. beneficial effect upon trade, for the reason that the summer goods would still not be saleable and on the other hand the winter business would not be enhanced. It should also be stated that shearing, by reason of the weather, has been somewhat delayed. At the present time there are buyers in New Zealand from ail countries, and there is considerable difficulty in the arrangement of prices by reason of the fact that it is dependent <m the weather as to the forthcoming of the clip. The sales of wool have been adv(V'tised, and it must be obvious that prices must go up with less bales coming also be here mentioned that advices from Invercargill to houses havino- branch establishments in that town a re that an unprecedented volume of business is being put through. When a representative of the manufacturinsr engineering trade was ap-

proached on the subject, hie reply was substantially that of the other traders. They had “never had a year like this, and they had never known money come in so freely.” Representative men in the printing and paper trade were interviewed, and again the anewer was given that the year s business was not only satisfactory, but an advance on previous years. A leading boot retailer remarked : “You will never hear us gi’umble if we never ofet a leaner year than this. We are perfectly satisfied.” , The retail grocery trade is buoyant, and in company with other trades of the town shows an advance and not a decline on foregoing years. Generally speaking, there is not a trade in Dunedin that is not to-day in a better position than it was 12 months ago. A manufacturing tailor, who hac no outside -lines, said the year had been a really good one, and if the last two months had been seasonable, he would not have been able to cope with the work that must have come in. Hands were not to be had, and he had worked his full limit of overtime. . As it was, he had orders in which would take him till the end of January to complete. In another case a retail draper in George street mentioned that he was refusing orders for his dressmaking department for the simple reason that he could not get ha,nds. .He could offer permanent employment in his establishment for 25 additional dressmakers, and he believed that there was hardly a similar establishment in the city that was not handicapped by the same lack of assistance. The demand for assistants in shops, especially fancy goods and stationery shops, was never greater than it is now, which is another indication of the brisk nature of business as far as these trades are concerned. A significant feature of the trade of Dunedin during the past year is supplied in this fact : that in no previous year has the accommodation —that is, the sleeping accommodation —of our hotels, both public and private, been taxed to the extent they have been during the last 12 months. This in itself shows that the country population of Otago has been on the move, and that their objective has been the province’s capital.