Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-28
The Year Just Closing Was a Rec
ord Breaker
ITS PRE-EMINENCE NOTABLE
Figures 60 Substanuate All This
Given by Bradstreet- Outlook for
Future Very Good.

New York, Dec. 21.--The annual re-
view of American trade, finance and
industry, prepared by Bradstreets and
given publicity today declares 1901 to
be "record-breaker among the FIVE
preceding years of commercial ex-
panson enjoyed by the United states.
It's pre-eminence, the review states,
was all the more notable because Il
suffered from a combination of hap
penings that in normal year would
have proved depressing, II not disas-
trous. Enumerated In the latter are
the machinists and steel strikes; the
stock panic Of May the failure of sew
eral imprudently managed combina-
tlons' lhe efforts of some combinations,
IlcluulnB that In copper TO fix prices,
the shortage IN corn, cotton and oats,
and the assassination of President Ne.
kinley Summarizing the general Sit
uation, the Review says:
YEARS TRANSACTION.
Briefly summarized, the year has
seen transacted an aggregate OF gen
eral business as reflected In bank clear
lngs, far In excess of any preceding
period has witnessed stock specula.
ton, rampant beyond the dreams Of
old-tlme brokers, checked and cur
tailed by one Of the sharpest stock
panlcs in history and yet with re.
markable minimum of disturbance OF
general financial operations. has
watched general industry and produc-
ton grow steadily until new and larger
figures were needed TO express the out
puts of coal, ore and iron ana steel
and leather and lumber and mutt
tude OF other branches, has seen the
freight transportation facilities OF the
country strained to the breaking point,
prove insufficient to handle the volume
OF business offered, ana finally has
witnessed volume Of holiday business
passing all previous bounds both in
quantity and quality and the vastly
increasing purchasing power OF the
public In late years.
CLERAINGs.
From the standpoint of the present
estimates the clearings this yea will |
exceed the highest records of proceed |
ing years by one-fourth Gross rail- |
way earnings have increased IL per |
cent and net returns have gained 10 |
per cent over the best preceding year |
Plg-lron production will be not far |
from one-seventh larger than the heaV-
lest ever before recorded. Shoe pyO- |
duction and shipments and larger |
leather production have been apparent |
Iron production and shipments were I
never before equaled, Anthracite coal !
production will be full 10 per cent |
larger than last year and yer cent |
heavier than the record, Wooden man
ufacturing has been helped by low cost ,
of material and good demand Tor |
clothing All the returns are not so
favorable. There has been less money |
In cotton for the. South this year. The
agricultural interest has been favored |
by heavy advances I'm farm products,
which have done much to counterbai-
ance reductions in yield. Export trade
has shown signs Of hesitation after
years of steady advance and imports
have increased, but mainly in materi"
ais intended for domestic manufac~
ture, and the margin In favor OF eN-
ports is still enormously heavy me
bank clearings are estimated at WIS.,
OOO, 600 0OO gain Of 80 per cent over
last year and 26 per cent over 1877
Tne MlQdle states SHoN tne SlVutNoN
increase in clearings"
FAILURES.
The failures for the year are placed
at 1878, with aggregate liabilities OF
$3.50, 00O,O 600 and assets of $50 100000, As
TO this showing, the Review says This |
Is a gain of &C per cent in number over
1900 and of nearly 70 per cent over 1879,
but back OF that year comparisons fa-
VOr the current one. Liabilities nave
not gained relatively so heavily, as |
shown by the fact that they are only |
"a per cent larger this year than last
year and SO per cent larger than IN
1898. In only three Of the past thirteen
years, in fact, were liabilities smaller
than they were this year point often |
lost sight Of Is that there is con
slant accession OF new individuals
firms and corporations In business each
year, and this alone furnishes basis
for the recording OF numerous unsuc-
cessful ventures. There are now $4,000
more people In business than there
were decade ago, an Increase OF ID
per cent, but failures have only in