The Iola register., 1891-07-31
PROSPEROUS STATES.
WHAT THE BRADSTkEEr MERCAN
TILE AGENCY SAYS OF THE CONDI.
TION AND PROSPECTS OF TRADE IN
MISSOURI AND KANSAS:
Comments on the semi-annuai Report.

Comments on the Semi-annual Report.
Bradstreet's report for the first six
months OF the present year shows some
surprising and encouraging facts for
Kansas and Missouri. Mr.. Albert
Houghto1, superintendent of Brad
streets agency in Kansas City, was
struck by the figures shown by a com.
parison OF the business failures in diff
ferent states in 1891 with the failures
in 1890. The number of failures, Mr..
Houghton says, is unquestionably a true
index of the stability and prosperity of
a state. Few failures mean good crops,
good prices and general confidence.
Many failures mean just the opposite.
The remarkable feature in the COM
parison of Kansas and Missouri with
other states in the matter of increase
or decrease of failures is that these two
states not only show up better than
those further east and north, but make
a much better showing than the other
| western states.
For the first six months of 1891 Mis-
souri, had $50 failures against 210 for
the corresponding period of 1890. This
was decrease of 40 per cent. In other
words there were nearly one-half more
failures in the first six months of 1890
than in 1891. In Kansas there were 173
failures in 1890 and 160 in 1891. Here
is also good decrease Of misfortune.
Nebraska shows up on the other side Of
the line. In 1890 there were
l3S failures and in 1891 there
were 2S4. All these figures are for the
first six months Of the years mentioned.
Nebraska, therefore, shows an increase
OF over 100 per cent in the number Of
failures. These figures are given with
out comparison OF the number OF busi-
ness houses in the several states. but
when it is remembered that Missouri
has $4,000 names, Kansas 25,700 and
Nebraska I9, 400 it is seen that the pro.
portion of successful business enterpri-
ses is still greater in Kansas
and Missouri. Texas, with her
3S,S00 names had 36l fail
ures in 1891 and 10 in ls0, showing q
big increase in that state also. Colo
RADIO had 95 failures in 1891, against sc
failures in $780, Iowa had 129 in 1891,
against lis in 1890. Utah had "a in
1891, against in 1890.
An extract from the official report is
as follows:
Those states showing relatively the
lnCICdSoo III tilC
ures are: Connecticut 30, In the north
east group; Pennsylvania SO, in the mid
die states group; Georgia go, Texas 81,
Tennessee 81, Alabama SO and Louis
lana SO, in the group of southern states;
Ohio 10, Kentucky As and Indiana q,
among the western states; Nebraska
146 more than 100 per cent increase),
Montana 30 and Iowa IL, among north
western states; Oregon So. among the
Pacific states, and Utah g."
These figures and facts are stunners
TO those who are crying hard times in
Kansas and Missouri. 1t is a settled
fact and an iudisputable matter of his
tory that failure follows poor crops and
unwise speculation. 1t is as certain that a
falling off in the number Of failures
show a condition of affairs opposite to
that above mentioned. The real wealth
OF the country is governed by what it
produces either as crops or manufac-
tured products or both, and the COM
mercial agencies so regard it and gov
ern themselves accordingly. The
Bradstreet people are more than satis-
fed that Kansas and Missouri are on
better basis than any other western
states. They are so well satisfied OF
this, in fact, that they are willing to
give out this report to the public with
the assurance that, judging by their
long experience, it means something,
and that something is altogether favor
able to the two great sister states with
their inexhaustible resources and their
vastly improved natural conditions for
the raising of good yearly C, OBS.
1T is an unquestioned fact that the
climatic conditions are every year
growing more and more favorable"
says Mr.. Houghton. st is something
difficult to explain, but it has been the
history of every new country. With |
improved conditions of climate and a
thorough recovery from the speculative
ideas so common to the people of any
new country, the two states are GER
tainly on the up grade and on the right
saclS -"