The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-10-05

Although every department shows i'm
provement for the nine months, COM
pared with the same time last year, and
in the aggregate of all commercial fail
ures, excluding banks. there is a decrease
of about per cent. in number and 80 per
cent. in liabilities, the third quarter
makes still more Satisfactory exhibit,
the decrease in number being over II
per cent. and in amount of defaulted
Indebtedness more than 81 per cent. As
current conditions are disclosed most ac-
curately by the latest returns, 1t follows
that the business situation is more
healthy at the opening of October than
it was in the middle of the year, while
both comparisons show an improvement
over 1904. These statistics of mercan-
tile mortality are probably as faithful
in depicting the condition of business as
the less negative records of bank ex-
SHaHSeS anu ldiihd! edAuiHsS. NAiSH
which tell similar story. 1t is particu-
larly gratifying to note no distinctly un-
satisfactory reports in either the sep
aration by branches of business or the
geographical Classification, Even in times
Of normal prosperity there are often
weak spots, due to local or special con-
ditions. but the latest statistics of insol-
veneies fail to exhibit any such unde-
sirable results. liabilities in the third
quarter were smaller than in the cor
responding three months of any year of
the preceding twenty-one, with the ex-
ception of 1899 and 1892. and similar
showing in the last quarter viii make an
enviable record for 1905. especially when
allowance is made for the large increase
in total number of firms in business and
amount of capital involved.
Examination of the failure record for
nine months according to location dis
closes a striking decrease compared with
last year as to amount of liabilities in
New England. although there is little
alteration in number.
In the three States classed as mid
die because of precedent despite the
westward movement Of the centre of pop
ulation. there was a still large, decrease
in the total amount of liabilities although
the proportion was less notable, ow ne to
the greater densiiyof manufacturing and
mercantile gtiactiyO 0 7.3Fe # s-a
mercantile activity. OF The $4,000 900 de
yided asort tsso-thsdS. while Pcnasyl-
vania also made Il good showing. with a
decrease of over So.0n0.000 Beth States
reported a decrease ef GREY 100 in number
of insolvencieS. Although much smaller
in every respect. New Jerseys figus>s
were most satisfactory. the relative de-
| ference being much greater than in the
/ two larger States. a numerical diminu-
| tiGn OF third being noted~- viii e as to
! liabilities. the dccreass from last years
total was over one-half. Thereswas iitte
change for the section as 70 banking sus.
| pensions
Southern returns are sot 50 uniformly
! gratifying. and increase OF 157 failures
being recorded for the section.
Changes IN The three Southwestern
States were less conspicuous.
Comparatively little net alteration r
number appears in the comparison for tbs
fve important Central States.
Insolvency returns fsom the Dominion
Of Canada during the first nine months ei
| she current year show fhe smallest tota
liabilities Of any recens years.