Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-31
1878 BEST BUSINESS
YEAR FOR PENINSULA
Trade Was Unprecedented, With
Decidedly Promising After
the-War Conditions.

The year of 1917 was considered the
banner business year for the Dclmaryia
Peninsula, but all previous records
appear to have been passed during 1918. .
according to a statement made today
by the Wilmington agency of II. G.. Dun
n Co, In the Equitable building. Bus
mess conditions generally have shown
decided Improvement over all previous
years. the statement continues "The
! values OF all commodities have reached
unprecedented prices for demands have
been unparalleled. Since the armstice
has been signed large number of con-
tracts previously placed with local in
dustrial concerns have been cancelled
but ri the present time most of these
plants have sufficient orders booked for
"a number Of months ahead All classes
ot labor have been ut a premium: very
high wages have been paid, aud as a
| result, merchants IN most cases. have had
the best wear in their business careers
! There j. more money ON deposit ON the
! Peninsula ut the present time than ever
before and there appears 10 be falr
| demand for cash at legal rates. whle
! there has been tendency to increase
/ the rate on permanent loans The latter
! has been especially noticcahlcln placing
/ MORTGAGES on city property
The formers have had y most sue
,ssful wear While thcv have been
( Handicapped for labor labor-saving ma
/ cmncrv has come 10 Their rescue 10 LARGE
! extent and they as y class. appear to
/ hc III q moro prosperous condition than
( heretofore The acreage Of mort food
4 plans was largely increased during 1912
and again during 1918. particularly IN
1 vegetables for canning, Ter large ma
/ Jort> - winch previously rnhpard of
( prices were realized vhr IA some IN
I stances canncrS were seriously hand-
! capped OWING t. The scarcity Of cans
and lahor
ot>TrKfE> sutRE Is PROSPERITY.
The o>-t,rmcn On the Peninsula
reported 'll> time th;t thcS arc having
the mos surccsetul vcar ~ their line
:hat focy ha,r ever hGd ,yluch IS At
;riDrtatlc largely t. the early and con
tlnU~l cold weafhcr Of last winter,
hch made that oyster season \ short
on" while iaS- fail and the present winter
- date have been "pcn and the supply
~ oysters Is larger than ever before
reported, and fancy prlrrs are beng
rc.i-c!
Building operations during the year
have been seriously handicapped owing
70 tho increased cost ~ materials and
scarcity of labor There are several
operations Of importance 10 Wilmington
Vhlch have been held up for some time
and the indications are that these opera
irons will % forward with he coming
Slrtng The embargo On lumber has been
hitcd Local yards report good stocks on
hand and local dealers ara optimistic
concerning the future
o>LY THIRrY-sEylN FAILURES
Tic total number Of failures on the
DcnarvIa Peninsula Tor tho year 1918
WAS 81. rs compared with f9 in 1917, ~
IN 1910 S3 III 1915, ~ in 1914 and b in
1913 The total liabilities of the failures
TT 1918 amounted I'd S3I5.5l045 a.
compared With $3.50, $50 56 for 1917
S>5.70N &3 ior 1916, >ll7S. So 81 for
1918 The total assets for he failures for
1915 amounted to 1926. SIS %. as com
pared with s3l9.6l A. for 1917, S357.-
7a5 to for 1916. and S66S. 500 % for
1915
Following are the failures for the year
1915. u quarters
BY Total La
Quarters No biiitleS Assets.
Fr-, i6 s20l >47 - : 52QIf07
Second II s., ib2 ~ 81. S56 80
Third 300 90 400 90
Fourth 3 II 10000 I5Od, 90
According 10 states failures OF 1918
run AZ follows
10 Tail- Liza
State ures hilities Assets
Delaware Is S223. .0f7.f4 : 6q. qN2 07
Marl iand Is eo.l62ql $3.50 80
Nirginia 10000 10000
Totals 81 s322,5lo Is sI32. 93S 81
COMPARATIVE STATISTICS.
For the purpose Of comparison. tie
following tables arc gwen showing fail
ures in the preceding i've wears
FAILURES N 1918
Delaware ) ) l407961lS S2.077 50
Maryland.lI 52.729.l2 22s5I02
Virginia. l4.5l1.90 505000
- 5 POS, ,O541 sI09 SIS 98
FAILURES IL 1914
Delaware 43 s., ,63S.S42.34 SI.035. .6SS 81
Maryland I6 1907 % lO2, ,20l b
Virginia :; 81 900 81 $4,000
62 1885,. 40S 81 81 l09, ,S40l3 |
FAILURES ~ 1913.
Delaware 30 5 III .450 % S 440.551 81 |
Maryland Is BOZ 069 q I91 .S67 SO +
Virginia IS 0l,012.32 35,975.00 I
So $I17S. 5}2 So 3 66S 39i IS I
FAILJKts N 1916
Delaware 81 ; 25q.4I56o 5 I90330 IS I
NaIyIand.27 81 .:}37 Is 15g,935.62 +
Virginia $4,000 529O0 +
63 : 5O5,25ll2 ) 35l79560
tAulKLs iN 1917
b.
Quarters No Liabilities Assets
First .5 2N3 070 % 5 2I5. .S20i7
second ~ 6> i01 n 3i 500 90 !
THIRD 1 S.I9Sl - i1Om
/ 'ourth. q 294 lei 90 6fG90UO +
Totals - S 65~ $50 81 S 3l96I947
CANNED OSTRICH EGGS.
signs reading Newly canned OSTRICH
cggs for sale may soon meet the olc-
of thc holI>cn il looking INTO the 1ir
dpJ- of erorcrg rtorcs III Inndon. This
~tatemcn i bi~cI Oh the fact thnt
Ostrich gg~ are beng pach"d expert
ncntall, ii Soutl America for shipment
t. England III liquid form. One ostrich
cgg IS equal 10 about two dozen lien eggs
II the canning Of these eggs proves sIrccs
fu il will mean the salvation ol the
ostrich growing industry which has -uf
fered considerably a result oi the WaI.
] will take 2 large family to consume
..,... i.r.4 ,vr