The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1905-12-21
nHOT-LIR" COFFIN flCTOR|tS
Lead Many un~sry investors INTO
CuickszndB u Financial Ruia.

In these GAYS % iIs2LsSo a9~s
and the umestght of investigation On
insurance corporations. the ordinary
public Is amazed over the disclosure
of how millions are earelessiy handled
by the heads Of large institutions. sup
oosed to be safe and conservative
One fact revealed by these disclos-
ures. is that the men connected with
such institutions, have gotten beyond
the days OF small capital. and deal
with such which rival Uncle Sam
treasury, through which. If successful.
they will realize large profits.
How sadly In comparison do the in
vestors" in many manufacturing en-
terprises appear. when judged from
the standpoint OF knowing what you
DO" and nowhere is this more patent
than with the Investor that il con
stantly sinking funds In the many
mushroom coffin factories that appear.
and then after spasm disappear,
either through 4 shut down" o..
through the sheriff.
Did the loss but extend only TO these
investors" it would be but the usual re-
suit, of not looking before you leap
ed" but what OF the creditors, and
frequently the amounts advanced BY
localities paid to stimulate the new
town industries, and often the wages
due to workmen.
The prevailing opinion in the public
mind that the manufacturing OF I'M
dertakers' goods returns tremendous
profits, is no doubt stimulated by ex-
perience had with the undertaken, but
in the manufacturing Of funeral sup
plies, the question becomes quite q
different proposition, for supply and
demand, pure and simple, regulates
the price. as it does in all other busi-
ness, with the exception that the
demands cannot be stimulated, by
either style, product, or price, ia
Their Time" alone controls.
Here is where the over Jealous cap
italist or community allow promoters,
or patriotism to impose upon their
credulity, in accepting statements
which will not bear the light of in
vestigation,' but through ignorance Of
conditions, subscribe and put up their
cash, only to get wise after it is too
late
Statistics show that there are one
hundred and ninety-fve casket man
ufacturing and jobbing plants in the
United States, of which 1853 are man
facturers of varying capacities, while
10 manufacture approximately $4,000
coffns and caskets annually, 80 manu-
facture 100000, ia manufacture 612.-
900, or a total of 1,347, 900 collins and
caskets, manufactured annually in the
United States, all of which must be
consumed through the ordinary de-
mand of mortality, but what is the
demand? In the mortality abstract OF
the twelfth census, table number ga,
we find that the total deaths from
all causes in the registration area Of
the United States was 512,669 for
twelve months, but this registration
area was only SO per cent of the con
tinental territory of the United
States. In part l. of the final report
en- vital statistics, page VII. the fino!
computation shows a death rate in
the United States Of 1873 per 1000,
and while this is considered excessive,
but assuming it to be correct, it will
show approximately only 1,23S,00O
deaths per year in this country includ-
ing paupers.
Now what of the 100000 collins and
clskets produced annually in excess
of the demand which the public can
rGt be induced to purchase by the
use Of any of the ordinary medium S
used to stimulate trade as practical
i'll other lines of business? Unques-
tionably it is a case of over-supply,
which can not be disposed of, and
the surplus is more than double the
quantity stated, for there is no pro-
vision in the estimate for pauper cot
fins, which are not made in the regular
coffin factories, whereas the number
OF deaths include paupers, and thus
the fate of nine out of every ten ne,>
coffin plants is clearly written, even
before the stock is subscribed, to say
nothing of the failure of the old
ones.
1t sometimes happens that a new
Plant of this kind, after a hard strus-
gle, succeeds in surviving some of the
older ones, but the same amount OF
capital and energy invested in some
other line of business would not run
such great risk of failure, while prof
it's in the event of success have prov
en- to be less than any other class of
business.
The records show that the average
FER cent of profit in the casket man
ufacturing business by houses which
have been in business for a number
of years, and equipped with the best
facilities for turning out their work
at the smallest per cent, runs from
5 to per cent, while several II not
the majority of them can do no bet
ter than break even, and in q number
OF Instances close down, or are clos
ed out in few years.