The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-04
APRIL FAILURES.
Smaller Than in Any April For Many
Years.

04oAASG 4AAA IL any AP1A EO& many
Years.
New York, May A-Bradstreet's re-
view of the failures for h month OF
April will say:
Business failures in April were not
only fever than in any corresponding
month for a numbersof years past, but
they were Is per cent smaller in num-
Der than in March and We're, in fact.
the Ightest recorded in any month since
September last yea when business eml-
barraSsmentS. and liabilities were the
smallest reported in any single month
for at least seven years past. Liabili-
ties ShoWe even a larger shrinkage
for the preceding month of March than
did failures themselves, the decrease be-
ing nearly 81 per cent, but, compared
with April a year ago., the falling off
is only a Irrational one, this being due
mainly to the occurrence of a large fail
ureS in New York city and Boston, none
of which. however, was significant of
any particular change or tendency in
the general course of business. The fail
ures in April, 1900, numbers 706; assets
81, 592, 567; liabilities S .214,7 1877.
When comparisons are made with the
corresponding month in previous years,
the really favorable side can be best
appreciated.
For instance the liabilities for April,
1899, were. only about one-half what
they were in 1898, 1896 or 1895 and Were
less than One-ffth as large as they were
in April of the panic year, 1893. An
even greater proportionate decline is
shown in the volume of assets, this be-
ing a feature frequently calling for at
tentlon of late and one not entirely IA
vorable as may be judged by the fact
that the percentage of asset to liabili-
ties, or in other words, the salvage IN
April, 1900, was only Sc per cent, where
as a year ago 1t was As per cent, and IN
April, 1886, was fully So per cent
The number of failures in every sec
ton of the country is smaller thar in
April a year ago, the falling off being
most manifest in states which a year
agO had not yet begun to feel the full
measure of prosperity which had al
ready reached other portions of the
country. For instance, failures in New
England were % per cent smaller in
number in April this year than they
were a year ago. They We're IA per cent
less in the middle states and Is per cent
less in the central west. In the north
west there is practically no change tic
be noted in numbers, and this section
it will be recalled, was among the first
to feel the favorable influence of recent
years trade prosperity. The decrease il
number of failures in the southis nearly
Is per cent, while the falling off in the
Pacific coast states is % per cent. II
the territories there are only about one
fourth as many failures as there Were
in April a year ago. A similar though
less marked falling off in the value OF
liabilities and therefore of assets i:
noted in every section except the mid
die states, where, owing, as above init,
mated, to a few large failures in New
York city, the aggregate of liabilitie.
n of assets is rather larger than il
April a year ago. With this exception
however, the tendency of failure liabil
tiles, as of failures, continues apparent.
ly steadily toward a