The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-17
J. rln. IN -. t u 81 --af1nres for
s.ss.s ~ FIrxt Half Or 1879.

8ss i monp Numerous 9igu8 TINT 6ne 81 Q1ut-f
fsn,, nj srnda has fpateTiaily improved
fisrnnpi,ont The country, none are more inn
mort "a ant ant than that BUSINESS failures have
.iaryeiy fiecreased, Tint the number OF
these misiortunes were fewer than In pre-;
Won, wears the public were prepared TO be-
liiava from, the tact chat. the announcements
s.et =, troi. hIes through the Press were
as.assa., = ,,t shan fnrfnp the early part
IaI 'ess uoss cent
oi lasI s Sc niia f;oires IN re-
ins so en..hsa .,,hi ~ q lett to the Mercan-
w ~ rsa.srs q q Dim q CO.. we
t.s ~ ~ NJ .},Ie 10 present In advance OF
-, Initiation 81 their semi.annuaI circular
puo.as 49,, s.o.is,ics far fhe baIf-year iust
I uS $3.50 800 t"sssi,,s. 81
colaplets ~. q i, I'D furnished bv fine Agency
~ Il v ~ .a ~ - 1aIiosrino. - :"
'rs M. ,s;,,,roa sor The second quarter in
h. .. ~ ~ .asT ore 534 In number and
saol pnc ccss II anni,nt al liabilities. These
Sss,ySv,v sa ,atshty iess than In any single
ns 80 So a - tho MOI Ave wears. Az compared
sssa .ha ,acon;l onarter Of 1878, the differ.
~ NJ % oor - The last three months is
go go rnortaH in6fcatine decrease OF over
oon :, ;,I,ras ~ thar r,erin5. with decline in
Ho1 NJ soe. nm. (llO in the ouarter-a
isssa,,sd .fnsstGr lock.ilp by bad debts OF
4 ;krr,og I{0nC week"
Tnr no ftrai civ months OF 1879 the fail
s.t, IN II;iI,ad States vcreA 15s in mum.
NJ as n sua;nstEs SeS Far the first Six months
IoSjs1s eTbe Iiohilitie q in the same period
oytb;s year ara only $4,000, 900. as against
Stsn noo noa for tire tfirst six months OF last
1aor 'yfrTha ld;farence' in favor of 1879 is,
thereyo,e that there have been nearly 1000
~ oeo, Iess failrfres while the extent of liza
IhiIftJess shows a decrease OF over 5,00O,-
|O0O-nreciseiy one half OF what they were IN
the first six months Of 1878. MOT the least
gratifying feature is the marked reduc-
| tions in <fhe average indebtedness Of each
failure,
The indications are numerous on every
hand OF an improved condition of business,
vet none are more significant than the de-
crease in failures. Aside from the direct
losses of large sums through misfortunes
Of this character, the amount Locked up IN
estates awaiting adjustment is most serl-
Gus withdrawal from active capital. But
even greater than THIS is the e1ect upon tue
confidence so essential to business pursuits.
Numerous failures retard business ventures
in greater ratio than any other single cir
cumstance; while the probability OF lessen
ed disasters begets faith in the future, and
this feeling OF safety contributes almost
as much as an incentive to transactions as
the hope OF gain. The decline IN values,
and the absence OF remuneratiye profits eX-
perienced in all branches OF business during
the last two years, served to intensity the
anxiety always felt when losses by failure
are frequent, or even probable; but now
that the figures above submitted reveal such
| O marked Improvement, as compared with
the losses chroniced in previous years by
bad debts, another element is added to the
growing confidence already manifestng
itself, especially when taken in connection
with the present steadiness in prices, i'm
provement in values Of many staples, and
the evident growth in the volume Of bust
ness.
In relation to the growth in the volume
OF business in the past six months, as COM
pared with the transactions of the same
period in 1878. the circular before us con-
taips returns from all the clearing-houses in