The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-01-10
TRADE REVIEW.
The Number and Extent Of Failures Com
pared With Former Years.

r. q. Dun q Cos Weekly Review
Failures for 1894 are fully reported this
week, being 1855 in tho United States and
i.556 in the Dominion OF Canada Liabili-
ties in the United States were Ella, ,99l, $50,
and in Canada si7,Gi6,2l5.
Neither the decrease OF over half in this
country nor the increase OF over 40 per cent
In Canada Is surprising. but the statement
shows that most OF the decrease in the United
states Is in manufacturing liabilities, while
the entire Increase in Canada is ia liabilities
OF trnding concerns. A few states, including
New York and Pennsylvania, show more
failures than in 1898, and in lew Southern
states the Liabilities are larger but In Central
and Western States very much smaller.
Ia III OF the last 80 years, reported liabili-
ties have been larger than 1894 though for
this year and 1898 the statement is confined
TO commercial failures, us /; was not In form
or years.
The failures have been 1916 in every 1000
firms doing business. The liabilities have
averaged sl32.77 10 each firm In trade and
In proportion 10 the volume OF solvent bust.
ness represented by all Clearing House ex-
changes. s263 for every $1,000.
The complete review OF different branches
OF business places Ia a clear light the fact
that prices OF commodities are at the lowest
level ever known. Eight years ago, In July.
prices averaged only 1869 per cent o. the
prices for the same articles, and In the same
markets. January /, 1860. and this remained
the lowest point ever touched until August
TO- 1898, when tue average ie!l TO 1910; but
early In the past year prices dropped below
all previous records and have never recov-
cred. the average December % being only
6s.1J per cents OF the prices In 1860. The
range was very little higher at the end OF tho
year. and about as low October rs.
Tho fall sincea year ago has been 81 per
cent. but very unelu Il IN different branches.
In iron and steel products II pcr cent. In
wool. 1874 per cent; In woolcus and cottons.
about Is per cent. These changes contrast
sharply with tho decline Of wages paid Pc
| hours work. which average only LIZ pc,
cent less than year ago.
The condition OF industries has been large.
" governed by the fall In prices. and whilc
production Is much greater than u year ago
the aggrel. ate increase being fairly measur.
by the increase OF S.2i per cent IN hours Of
work done in November, compared with the
| urcyi us year II has been the controlling
! feature ia almost every important industry
that consumption has not kept pace
with the output and has not sustained
| prices.
In iron and steel tho lowest prices OF the
year are at the close and the lowest ever
know, the demand calling for less than hall
| the usualqunntity Of rails, with large decrease
/ in many other branches. though probably
| the use Of structural forms was larger In 1894
| than ever before. The wooden industry rec
ords production for the year about a quarter
less than normal, and for the last four months
2s.i7 per cent. less than in 1899 In quantity oi
| wool consumed, but IN value Of product the
/ decrease was, Of course. greater.
The year has been especially noteworthy
| for the lowest prices of wheat aud cotton on
record. Both suffer from wholly unprece.
dentcd accumulation OF stocks, the crops
being large.
Outside this country wheat production has
not increased enough to justify price OF o.
cents at New York, and the accumulation IL
largely due TO false reports OF yield intended
| to ffighten buyers aud raise prices. The
same Influence has been felt in cotton. which
is also affected by worldwide depression In
business and decrease in consumption oil
goods. In other produce markets tho year
has been relatively unimportant.