Milford chronicle., 1917-01-12
2,547 CHARTERS FILED At
DOVER DURING PAST YEAR

.
/ The prediction made six months ago
to the effect that the Delaware cor
porafion charters fled at the State
( Department, at Dover, in 1916, would
exceed the number OF charters filed
/ in 1915 by at least 500, is more than
borne out by the report OF the State
Department for the year, which shows
that a total Of 2,547, or more than zoo
( in excess OF the number lied In 1919
we're fled during 1916. The total cap
italization OF the corporations filing
charters at Dover during the year will
exceed two billion dollars, the State
tax upon which amounts to S205,72Ol1
quite a welcome addition to the
State treasury.
Not only has the total number Of
charters filed in 1916 broken all pre-
yious records of charters filed in any
one wear. but the number filed in De-
cember exceeds the largest number
filed in any one month by 46 charters.
The highest record for charters filed
] in any one month was made IN March
1916. when 23I we're filed, but the re-
port shows that in December JUST
ended, a total of 277 were filed, thus
establishing a new record by vide
margin.
The previous high record for year
was made in 1915. when a total OF 1923
charters were filed. That was consid-
cred an unusually large number at
that time, as the average for the past
ten years has been less than l,5OO.
When compared with the 2,547 filed in
1916, however, the 1915 record does
not loom up nearly so large. Included
in the 2,547 are charters filed by cor
porations in almost every state in the
Union and several foreign countries.
The number of charters filed each
month during the year follows: Janu-
ary. 1S6; February, 20S; March 231;
April, 1874; May 224; June, 230; July,
1871; August, 191; September lS4; Oc-
tober, 222; November 210; December. |
277. The average filed each month
during 1914 and 1915 was about $50. |
The total capital stock of charters |
capitalized at 500 900 or more is far !
in excess of two billion dollars, and |
counting all charters filed the amount !
will reach nearly two and half bill |
lions. The amount of franchise tax |
paid over to the State Treasurer dur |
ing the past year is $109, 9,092.S8, with |
enough to bring the amount up to |
$4,000, still due.
While almost every kind of business |
figures in the corporations filing char !
ters, vet a decided prepOnderance of |
mining corporations is noticed by a |
study of the names Of the corporations
is noticed by a study of the names
of the corporations chartered. Dur
ing the past year there has been a
great increase in charters filed by oil
and gas companies, with companies to
manufacture automobiles and deal in
automobile accessories close second.
At the beginning of the year muni-
ton manufacturing companies fgur-
ed prominently among the charters,
but during the past six months they
have fallen OFF considerably. Moving
picture concerns, shipping companies,
mining, investment, real estate and
development companies have also
been frequently incorporated during
the year.
In addition to the great number of
charters filed during the year 1916,
there have also been many certificates
of corporate amendment filed to in
crease the capital stock of old cOrpor-
atiOns. In many instances the in
creases amount to millions of dollars,
indicating an unparalleled era of pros
perity in the business world. Many
motor corporations, in particular,
have increased their capital stock
during the year.