Morning journal and courier., 1883-07-27

each giving an additional impulse to the
 ball.
 Fire insurance in New York is not 8 very
 profitable business in these times, according
 to the reports received by the Insur-
 ance superintendent for the six
 months ending June 30. Of fifty.
 nine companies doing business in
 the State twenty-one show an excess of ex-
 penditure above income during the six
 months covered by the reports, and these
 include the heaviest companies. A majority
 Of these companies, however, show that the
 excess is due to the payment of dividends
 The heavy payments made came from the
 surplus and not from the capital The re- l port shows that in the case of the Continen. l tai the actual expenditures, exclusive of the | dividend, exceed the income by nearly $3,- 900, the dividend pa, ment being as high as $72, ,963; in the Firemen's Trust, although small company, the expenditures are $29,- O14 beyond income, with the dividends of $7s50O included, while in the Guardian, no disidend being paid, the excess of expendi- sures is $a, ,6s6, it's net surplus for the same date being $4,465-a reduction of nearly $1, 500 on the net surplus last December The Home, which is the largest company in the State, having $3, 900, 900 capital and over $7, ,000. .O00 assets after paying $50, GOO of dvi dends is still short on its income outside the dividends of $57, AIS in six months. It's net surplus has in the same time been reduced $24, ,669.
 A correspondent of the Amerika of St. Louis says that the most important and sue. cessful element in the foreign pobulation of Mexico is the German. Much the greater part of the wholesale and imk orting trade of the country is in their hands, and they have an immense combined capital at their dis posal. Most of these business houses were founded between 1926 and 1885, and many have passed already by succession through three or four hands. As rule, the original founders withdrew after ten or twenty years of successful labor, and returned to Ger many, where some led life of ease and re- tirement, while others continued their con- nection with their Mexican houses sufficiently to see to the buying and the shipping of mer- chandise Generally they left successors in the shape of son, nephew, or other relative in Mexico who in turn, after limited pe- riod of lucrative trading, followed in the footsteps of his fortunate predecessor. The merchandise imported by these houses came at first mainly from Germany; but now their operations have extended to England, France and the United States. Many articles of merchandise are now turned out by factories that have been established by these traders within the Mexican dominion. They lend largely to native planters upon the security of their farms and crops, and make heavy profits out of this business. These traders were formerly often made the victims of forced loans to the government, and fre- quently these loans proved, in fact, to be ex- torted tribute, none of the money ever being | returned, but of late years there has been | state of uninterrupted peace and prosperity, and they have been allowed to increase their | substance without interference. Many of | them have married native women and make | good husbands; but their children are usu- ally sent to Germany to be educated. Most | of them have retained their German allegi- 1 ance