The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-17
SEATTLE, TUESDAY, A"u'


A Good Business Showing.
The current number OF Bradstreets
shows that the business failures for the
first quarter Of 1900 were the fewest in
number for seventeen years and the
smallest In the amount involved for
twelve years. Considering the vast In
crease In population. and the stiil great
er increase In the volume OF business
which has taken place In the last sew
enteen years, II can be seen readily
that the business failures while larger
in number. are relatively very much
smaller than recorded then. With the
commercial statistics "a a guide. II IL
reasonable TO assume that the business
OF the country 10 more prosperous than
at any other time in history Certainly
the percentage Of failures. in proportion
TO the volume OF business. is the small
est
The number OF failures for the first
quarter of the present year was 1897;
per cent fewer than in 1898. IS per
cent fewer than In 1897, and 20 per cent.
fewer than In 1895
The Pacific coast states make an ex.
ceptionally good showing In the aggre-
gate, the total number of failures for
this section being but 1877. with assets
OF $5sas3s and liabilities of si.01T, s9e.
The failures for the same quarter OF
last year were 2ii, with assets OF 81, 49,
7is and liabilities of ss,24s.4is. No other
group OF states in the list makes a
showing which will compare with this
OF all the Pacific coast states Washing
ton takes first place. Failures here
were but 10 In Number, with assets of
s2o.ssT and liabilities Of SIS, T52, as com
pared with Is failures during the same
period Of last year. with liabilities Of
sii2.i+s ana assets of s53sso Oregon,
however. shows an increase In the num-
Der Of failures. with assets and liahil-
ties three times as great as a year ago.
Turning 60 another class OF CONNER
oial statistics. It appears that during thu
same quarter the aggregate of bank
ciearapees fell on nearly 10 per cent.
over those Of year ago. A close ex-
animation OF the tables. however. dis
closes the reason for this drop In the
commercial barometer. Only two groups
Of states show falling or In the vol
ume OF clearances. the New England
and Middle states. and these two
rrcups contain the great speculative
centers 81 the country. During March
1899. the aotation Of stocks OF the great
industrial combinations was at its
height. and millions % dollars were be
Ing diverted into these various schemes.
swelling tho aggregate Of bank clear
ances enormously
That peculiar form Of speculative
craze has largely died out. fortunately
before Il caused any heavy failures.
With resulting shaking o. confidence
and withdrawal ~ credits. aa outcome
which was seriously feared by many
conservative people. Aside from the
groups containing the speculative zen
tiers. other parts % tho United states
all show a healthy increase ia the vol.
une ~ elsar@nces. The FAR Western
srogp 81 cities has che lsrvest percent
age Of INCREASE. aud Seattle. a. a mat
ter OF course. the greatest proportianAte
gain In the sroup
Taking the two sets ~ statistics to-
ge,hsr. u appears that yherc Is a very
large saln IN the volume ~ legitimate
business which Is la she healthicst con-
dltien ever known There hiss been a
slight decrease In the speculative act,v-
ity. which at one time mad assumed a
Threatening and dangerous form. There
is more business aud less gambling
The showing Ia both directions il good
ona. AMI tends 60 strengthen the belief
that the period o. prosperity Ia here
g stay for many days There Is moth
ins on the financial horlEoR WRich
threatens the least disturbance to H.
As far as the state u Washington. and
particularly tho city OF Seattle. is con-
oeraed. tho showing II ESPECIALLY graf
flying. as Il appears that no section OF
this United states v increasing as fast