The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-05
Timers Supplies.
BUSINESS DEATH RATE
VALUABLE COMPILATION OF ALL
FAILURES BY BRADsTREET.
Commercial Life to Revive After the
Summer MOnths-WeeI1Iy Trade
Review of Dun ~ Co.

NEW YORK, June T. - Bradstreet pub
fishes this week the results of what is
claimed is the most important statistical
investigation ever made concerning bust
ness failures in various lines of trade. 1t
covers the past three years and the sum-
mary or It's results presents the total num-
Der of failures in lines of business in which
there were ten or more annually during the
three years named. Purely commercial en-
terprises, wholesale and retail, are seen to
furnish 20 per cent. of the business failures
each year and manufacturing embarrass-
ments about 20 per cent. Out of the in
crease of nearly 2.100 failures in 1896, COM
pared with 1885, 1,135, or more than one-half,
were of retail commercial concerns. The
counting of the total number of individuals,
firms and corporations in business in thirty
seven groups of the more important lines
OF trade is an unprecedented work These
totals constitute what may be termed the
business population of the country in these
lines and permit, with the totals of fail
ures in these lines, the calculation of the
commercial death rate in the departments
or lines of business specified. This record
shows that in 1896 seventy-seven out of
every one thousand clothing concerns and
hfty-one out of every one thousand bicycle
houses failed in business. The two lines
had relatively the greatest commercial NOR
tdllty last year The rate throughout the
country, in all lines, last year was fourteen
commerc1dl deaths out of every one thou
sand in business. Commercial failures were
relatively most numerous, after the two
lines specified, among manufacturers of or
dealers in hats, furniture, glassware, dry
goods, notions, wOole1S, jeWelry, lumber
and hardware. After that the rate of en-
normal.
morrow will say: The only favorable fea-
lures of trade are encOura cement at the
outlook for fall business and Improvement
in demand and prices of iron and steel.
Crops in the Southwest, particularly in
Texas, have improved with seasonable
rains and the prospect favors larger eX-
ports of wheat from the Pacific coast. A
fairly satisfactory jObbing trade continues
at leading cities in Northwestern spring
no pronounced activity, and the tendency
of funds is to accumulate. Where the vol
ume OF business exceeds that Of a year ago,
as 1t does IN few lines. profits are fire.
quently so reduced as to render this year
movement less satisfactory. orders for dry
goods clothing and shoes for nearby de-
livery have fallen off. The anticipated mid
summer industrial disturbances, particu-
larry III iron and steel, promise to influence
months
Exports of wheat diour included as
WheaO from both coasts of the United
States and Montreal this week amount to
2,62OUOO bu, compared with 2,0S1,0 600 bu last
week, 3,2O9,OO0 bu in the week a year ago.
1891 900 blu two years ago. 2,742 600 bu three
years ago and 100000 bu in the correspond
ing week of 1893.
Exports of Indian corn amount to ?. 1876. coo
bu this week, compared with 2,1S5, 900 bu
last week, 1,623,00O blu in the week a year
ago, 1,149,000 bu two years ago. $4,000 bu
three years ago and $4,000 bu in the like
There are 1877 business failures reported
throughout the United States this week, a
sharp faIhng on from last week. when the
total was 257. The total one year and two
years ago was 236 in each instance, and in
the like week in 1894 it was 207. There are
thirty-seven business failures in Canada,
against twenty last week, twenry-nine the
week year ago and twenty-seVen two
wears ago