The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-09-04 00:00:00

OUR PROGRESS IN TEN YEARS.

(From Wednf,)sday's
Nations should not only take a decennial census of
population but also draw up a balance-sheet every
ten years of what progress they have made in industry,
wealth, commerce, instruction, and morality. We
have only to compare the returns of the Board of
Trade for 1879-80 with those of ten years ago to spa
the advancement of the United Kingdom as follows :
:—lncrease.L-POpulatiqn, 11 Per cent. ; revenue, 8 per
cent. ; public wealth t 09 per cent. ; commerce,
13 per cent. ; shipping, 16 per cent. ; textile
mannfactures, 29 per cent. ; minerals 45 per
cent. ; railway traffip, 45 per cent. ;. Post
Office, 45 per cent. ; schools, ' 122 Per cent ;
public morality, 13 per cent. ; welfare of poor,
19 per cent. Population has not grown so fast as in
previous decades, but the ratio of increase is still much
higher than the European average. It was 13 per
cent. in trig/and and 10 in Scotland, while Ireland
showed a'decline of 1 per cent., owing to 'emigration.
The total nunjher of British emigrants was 1,65,4;0001
from which, OeluetingthOSe who retnrupd, the b,alance
or net loss would be 875,000, and if these were added
to the actual population the increase would reach 14
per cent. Revenue or taxation is lighter now than
it was ten years ago the average for last year being
48s. per inhabitant. In the same interval the National
tebt...lias been reduced by 24 millions sterling. Public
wealth is pretty accurately measured by thq incou4e:
tax valuation, which is now £134,000,000 higher than
in 1869, an increase of £4 per inhabitant; even in
Ireland the ratio is higher by £2 per head. It seems
that the average income varies in the three kingdoms
as follows :-119 in England, £l5 in Scotland, £7 in
ITeland, and for the whole United Kingdom. The
accumulation' a Wealth ainting the working Glass,
as represented by deposits in savings banks, has risen
from 51 to 76 millions sterling, being almost 50 per
cent. Compared with populition, the savings de-
posited since 1869 have been 18s. per inhabitant in
England, the same in Scotland, and 4s. in Ireland.
It is, furthermore, worthy of observation that the
deposits in the Bank of England reached 39i millions
Le,ling iii 187 f) against 4`4 millions in 1569, the
hi-
crease being relatively alitiost 'double as gi-ei4 as in the
savings banks.
Commerce has likewise grown faster than popula-
tion, showing last year a ratio of £l7 18s. 3d. per
inhabitant against £l7 4s. 6d. in 1869. Many people
erroneously suppose that it is only our imports that
inprease, while our exports decline. Sadce it to i3a4
that the exports Of 1879 were 12 millions sterling over
those of 1869; being an increase of 5 per cent. Our
merchant shipping (not inchiding colonial) has risen
860,000 tons, but the effective carrying power is al-
-869 s'
most donbled, owing to the enormous develqpment Of
steam traffic. 11l 1
earners were 17 per centt
our shipping, the present ratio being 36 per ceni7„ and,
if we count them as four times the power of sailing
vessels, we find our carrying power is now 14 million
tons, as against 8?2- million tons ten years ago. If we
include colonial, the total British tonnage would be
equivalent to 19i million tons, the total for all nations
being a little over 40 millions. Manufactures, minerals,
and railway returns show at a glance ate progress of
fn'fernal in 611101.- Par rains in 1079 caisumpd 1i615
million pounds "Of cotton d oql*; '404 14)
millions in 1869, an increase of 29 per cent. ; while our
mining industry rose 45 per cent., the value of coal,
iron, &c., extracted last year amounting to 64 millions,
against 44 millions in 1869. By a remarkable coinci-
dence, our railway traffic has grown in the same ratio
as minerals' the gross earnings having risen from
£41,100,000 to £59,400,000. Another coincidence is
thee 4 flftc increase, also 45 per cent.—viz., 847
million letter 3 40869; 'and 1,1331/ year,

All the above items show material progress, and if
we turn to the indications of moral improvement we
find the figures no less satisfactory. The number of
criminals convicted in the three kingdoms has declined
from 14,340 to 12,525—a fall of 13 per cent.' and it
may thzrefore be said that public morality has ad-
vancedtin the same degs. Uc..hool stati€,tics show
that thd average attendance in Cfreat Britain has risen
from 1,313,000 to 2;980,000 children, the increase being
eleven times greater than that of population. Finally,
104a,v 04gp the nOndition of the poor by the num-
ber of paiiP'ers relieved ; 4114 4 04 has fallen frow.
1,281,000 to 1,037,000, j follows that tliu nn
provement equal to 19 per cent.
There is 'mit C'ne brouch of national wealth or in-
dustry that shows a decline—natnely, agriculture, the
ar'ea updoF Porn and green crops having fallen in ten
kears from 17,496,090,
_4.0 1;q0,000 acres, a decline of
8 per cent, for the United Kingacim, although ti-o
figures for Ireland alio* that the fallinOff 4t' that
cotiapry was as flitch as 16 per cent, it May be
questioned, 114PYPr, whether the rural products of
the United KingdoM Ii tr iilJdeclined in the last
gcilo)WithP4o /la Ssfto°rCakt 11.11:
ten years, seeing the increase in mycibge.f attic
—viz r, 8 per cent. in cows, 12 Per cent. inhorses, 6 per
ofeeciiatt.tlekliwues
cent. ilia logo; tjp) onl.Y set-off being loss of 6 pet
cent. in sheep. yen 4-eland (counting ten sheep
fitlinea
teerrerts44BAoPeprrobAbly compensated the loss in tillage.
for one head
Sximming t4e condii,inn of the I.Tnited ItingdOm
at present, as compred with ten years ago, we have
every reason to be prond of the progress wO hEYPIIIII,49.
If we had only increased in wealth, inanuiactnres,
commerce, and public histruction in the same ratio as
the number of inhabitants—namely, 11 per cent.—we
should present to the world a very favourable balance.
sheet if pur affairs in the past decade. But it is
manifest that we h*YA grown in Mille4olll4llo more
than in poPulation,. and that every sicceding delot9ie,
in spite of an occasional crisis or reverse, ' s6es Great
Britain richer, wiser, and happier, thanks to the
industry and civic virtues of her peaple.