Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-01-15
Mercantile Agency reference BooE.

Mercantile Agency Reference Book.
A business man who is able to sit in
his office aud take a telescope view OF
the peculiarly standing and condition
Of every other business man in a vide
country like this possesses a great power.
r. G. Dun 4 Co.'s Mercantile Agency
Reference Book is such a business
telescope. This enormous folio con.
tanning ratings Of the merchants, manu-
features and traders generally through
out the United States and Canada for
1875, has Just passed into the hands Of
subscribers, and that it is a most yalu.
able safeguard in a business office there
can be no doubt. II is a Waterman
inside who has a more extended, delicate
aud confidential trust than be without.
The u has the current stock In care.
the other the business of the year and
the fate of the firm 10 charge.
The Mercantile Ageacy Reference
BOOK for this year presents some fresh
features, which are worthy of notice. Il
Is fuller aud far more complete than ever
before BY reason Of embracing a wider
range Of rating, which involves many
thousand more names. Heretofore there
were no ratings to indicate a capital Of
less b two thousand dollars. In the
present volume a new rating finds place,
by which parties with a capital Of less
than one thousand dollars are quoted.
The changes necessitated by the intro
duction OF the new rating involved a
vast amount Of labor, which is apparent,
especially in the country portions OF the
book. One hundred and fifty thousand
names have been, by this arrangement.
changed to the lower rate, nearly seventy
thousand new names have been added.
and the entire number of changes made
since the last issue Of the Reference
Book in July last is 3O9, los. The mum.
Der ob!iteFated is $500, and the total
number Of names now included in the
volume is 64l,239. This will give some
idea of the watchfulness, activity and
work expended upon the present book.
The preface Of the volume takes a
rather cheerful view Of the general bust.
ness solidity and financial health of the
country. The conviction OF the mercan.
tile agency is hat the effort to largely
reduce indebtedness il not entirely 10
liquidate it has been the prevailing ten
dency Of the past year, and therefore the
study was how to eeonomize, to realize
upon assets and to lessen the liability of
losses or risk. This restriction of bust.
ness resulted in hard times to producers.
and a diminished demand for labor If
those cases are rare ia which the surplus
in business has been much increased as
the result of the year, if in very many
cases business men have barely held
their own, or even have TO admit a loss.
yet the year is rated as By no means one Of
disaster. The failures are not in excess
Of the average Of former years, Aside
from the brushes Of wild speculation and
fraudulent failures the number of disas.
ters chargeable to the legitimate trade of
the year is astonishingly few. The pub.
fishers therefore argue hat if the cause
OF the depression in the trade Of the
country is found in the reduction Of in
debtedness and the practice of economy.
We should not quarrel with it. If depres.
sion, liquidation and restriction of busi-
ness have been submitted to without Sc.
rious disaster, the hope is that In the
near future there will be not only
safety, but a gradual aud sure
improvement in the character.
extent and proitableness Of legit.
mate trade. 1t is a matter of con.
graduation that we have got through a
trying year without serious calamitles;
that it was one OF great productive
abundance, aud that the prospect for
trade reveals far more encouraging than
disturbing elements. Tie book is pre-.
scented as a reflex Of the financial solid.
ity and standing Of all the principal
business men in the wide expanse Of
territory designated Cor the exclusive
use of subscribers. OF course some in.
accuracies and misappreheDsions are
inevitable, but these are corrected as
soon as discovered, aud the increasing
popularity of the Mercantile Agency,
especially in the great eenters Of trade,
is a sufficient indication of its benefits
and growing usefulness.