Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-05-09

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valuable letters to the New York Times,
and who is understood to be Hon. E. D.
Mansfield, Commissioner Of Statistics for
Ohio, communicates to that journal a sug-
gestive review Of the progress Ofthis State,
dated upon the last annual report Of sta
~tistics. The condition Of Ohio is taken as
a fair exhibit of the wealth, progress and
resources of the American people. Ohio
is mainly agricultural but also largely
commercial. It is bordered 400 miles by
the Ohio river and $50 miles byLake Erie.
Hence it is taken IS a fair section from
which to Judge Of tho nation. The income
of the State must be mainly derived from
exports of grain and animals, nearly every
acre of the State being arabic. To effect
these expectations, Ohio early devoted al
tention to canals and railroads, to furnish
transportation to market. When her
canal system was commenced wheat would
not bring over thirty-fve cents one hum
dred miles from the lake, while corn was
sold on the Scioto 1t ten cents per bushel.
The annual profits of the State in the las
ten years, by the construction Of her public
works, are estimated at S20,000,0OO on the
carriage alone, aside from the stimulus
given to all kinds Of industry. Ohio has
more miles Of canals and railroads than
any other State of the Union, having q
route Of railroad to every thirteen square
miles, while New York has one to every
| seventeen square miles, sndIllinOis one to
every twenty.
1t is asserted that, relatively, Ohio is the
first agricultural State in the Union. The
only State equalling her in production Of
grain is Illinois, but this State has 5000
square miles more han Ohio, and, further
more, a large portion Of the surface Of Hi
nois was prairie land, already cleared
In the production of animals, Ohio is SC
tually the first, of which there were in
1860, S,2O4,O67 The total value of agri'
cultural products, including grains, wool
hay and animals, at Cincinnati prices, if
estimated at ST56, UUU,UUU. VI UnT5 umUuHt
more than one-half is surplus, so that The
value of agricultural exports amount t.
$50 OOO 900. as ascertained from shipping
ports of lake, river, canal and railroads
So much for agricultural products. Blu
Ohio also has valuable sources of wealth
in her manufacturing products Of wool
iron and clothing; the permanent improve
ment in lands and buildings, and in thu
annual increase Of animals. In i~llustra,
ton Of the last point, it is said that thu
number Of sheep in the State has increaset
one million in two years.
Under all these stimuli, the wealth o
Ohio has doubled in the last ten years. II
| 1850 it was assessed at S504, 100000, ant
in 1860, at 81, 1913, SOS, 900, showing an in
crease of $500, 600, 600 in ten years. TWEEN.
ty years ago the taxes of the State wer'
81, $50, OOO, now they amount to $1,000,
OOO-more than four-fOld. This is not al
increase of the ratio Of taxation, but o.
taxable property, the valuation of property
twenty years ago being only one-ninth o.
what it is now. The ability of the cOun.
try TO bear the burdens of a long war il
amply Illustrated by this exhibit. TIT
Commissioner estimates that Ohio will pay
SIG, OO0, 900 of the Internal Revenue
which, if the other States pay in proper
ton, would bring the Internal Revenue NJ
to SI6O, 900, 900 per annum. Ohio has in
creased in wealth with the past two year
of war. The writer closes by saying tina
"her crops have gone on, her animals
have increased, her debts have diminished
her railroads have nearly doubled theil
receipts, and buildings are going up, anC
wages high, and money plenty. In such
state Of things, it is not possible tina
wealth should not increase; and yet l an
willing to admit that the deduction Of tn
labor of 100000 men in the army must de
duct from the industry which would exis
if they were present. But this is a de
duction from what might be, and not from
what iS. Now immigrants are coming int
the State, and all kinds of business active
Cincinnati gave $4,000 votes at the Apri
election, after furnishing thousands Of mel
for the war. On the whole, the war ha
yet done no material injury to the wealth
and industry of Ohio"