New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-08
THE YIELD on INVESTMENTS.
THE EQUITABLE LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY GETS
VIEWS OF LEADING F1NANcrERs.

VIEWS OF LEADING F1NANCfERs.
The following letter recently sent by tho
Equitable Life Assurance Society or the Cnlted
states. through It's yice-prcsidont. James ". Alex
arder. 10 a number Of leading fnancers I'm vari-
Gus parts OF the country:
Ny Dear Sir: We should he greatly Obliged 70
you if you would he good enough TO let us kn know
what rate of interest you consider IL sale lor ne
total assets invested I'm such securities and mort
cages as an Institution Of this kind should hold.
tracts and the premiums charged thereon involve
calculation in advance Of nc lnIIiese rate me-, cn
ana The opinion Of experienced nnanciers is sought
in order to reach a trustworthy CONCLUSION.
A large majority Of the many responses received
70 this letter give It the opinion Of their re-
spective writer's that 3 per cent would be the re-
turn which might fairly be expected under the con
ditons set forth IN tho letter OF Mr.. Alexander.
LYMAN J. Gage Secretary Of the Treasury gives
II as his Judgment that the tendency Of interest
is permanently downward. and that 1T would be
hazardous to estimate a ratio higher than per
cent as an average available return upon high
grade securities during the next twenty years"
adding: ION the other hand. with our country
largely undeveloped in its latent resources, as II
is anording still room for the intelligent appll-
cation OF capital to the development Of such re-
sources 1t would seem 10 me that per cent might
be fairly estimated TO be realizable average rate
Conrad y Jordan. Assistant Treasurer OF the
United States in this city. says - per cent per
annum income is the best estimate I would advise
in making future long investments" Some of the
other writer's, with tho rates Of Interest believed
by them respectively to be such he safely
counted upon during the next twenty years. are
John A. Stewart president Of the United States
Trust Company, 3 per cent possibly 81; Henry "
Cannon president or the Chase National Bank, 3
10 3ia per cent General Louis Fitzgerald president
Of the Mercantile Trust Company per cent;
Richard Dclaneld vice-presldent = the National
Park Bank per cent. James Mcmahon president
Of the Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank, per
cent; Edward King. president Of the Union Trust
Company, 10 ~ per cent ". ". Sherman. pres-
dent Of the National Bank Of Commerce. per
cent: Brayton Ives president Of the Metropolitan
Trust Company. per cent; Valentine 7. Snyder,
president Of the Western National Bank. to 3ia
per cent: James T. Woodward, president OF tho
Hanover National Bank 3i2 per dor the next
| ten years.. J. Edward simmons. president OF the
Fourth National Bank, 81 per cent. John Harsen
. per cent Thomas l.. james. president OF the
/ Lincoln National Bank. per cent. Andrew Mills
! president Of the Dry DOCK Savings Institution IS.
! Selieman & Co. per cent: Kuhn. Loeb d Co 3
| per cent Winslow, Lanier Co, per cent;
/ Kountze Brothers. % per cent: August Belmont.
! 8 per cent, Blair a. Co, 80 per cent Henry Clews,
81, per cent eX-SecrCtary Cornelius -. Bliss . Der
cent ex-Nic6- President Levi i. Morton g per cent:
| General John GIL. president OF the Mercantile
! Trust and Deposit Company. Of Baltimore 81. per
cent James II. Eckels, president o. The Com
/ Annuity and Trust Company. of PHILADELPHIA
per cent: y. Il. Comeeys. president OF tho Phia-
| west, president OF the s.. Louis Trust Company
~ TO ( per cent: \. Baldwin. president Of the
New-orleans NATIONAL Rank per cent; John carr
| per cent; Kdder. Peabody 4 CO.. Boston 3i5 Der
cent. and T. Jefferson Coolidge. To -, per cent.