The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-12-16
Industrial Growth.

Census bulletin No. 302 affords the
means, in connection with previous CEN
suses, of tracing the industrial growth
| of the United States. In 1850 the num-
Der of manufacturing establishments
was 1913, O29, and in 1860 there were but
40 433. In the next decade, however,
there was an amazing increase to 252,-
l4S, and the figures for 1880 are SUBJ
stantially the same, 2j3,S4O. The capt.
tai shows different rate of increase.
Starting in 1850 with Sj33, 2l5, 351, there
was an increase of 100 per cent. to ST.
COS, so, 7l5 in 1860, another doubling to
SO, ! Is, 20S, 100 in 1870, and n very small
comparative increase to S2,790, 223, 5O6
in 1880 But these figures, it must be
understood, are nearly worthless. Even
regarding stock companies, which have
q certain nominal capital, the returns
on this head are misleading, and as re-
CARDS private manufactures, it is GER
tain that they neither can nor will make
returns possessing statistical value. A
four-fold increase is the correction sug-
gested by former census authorities. In
the hands employed there was an in
crease from 95S,079 in 1850 to 1,3l1, 246
in 1860. 2,0J3. 996 in 1870, and 2,73S,-
$50 in 1880. In 1880 the total was COM
posed of lSl, 9lS children-j31,7 1853 fe-
Imales over ID years, and 2,O25,2 79
males over IL. In 1850 the wages paid
we're 1926, 100, l6i, in 1860, 1878, 878,-
966; in 1870. S775, 584, 3i3, and in 1880,
S9l7, 9l0,674. That is, in 1880 the week
" wage for each working man, woman,
and child was about $500. Really the
wages were larger, for it does not in
clude the sums received by proprietOrs
of shops, etc, who made their living
out of "profits." The materials con-
sumed were valued at S555, 174,320 in
1850, 81. 03l sos, 092 in 1860, 81, 4SS, 427.-
242 in 1870, and 1884, $40, 029 in 1880.
The products increased from S1,O19,-
109,516, in 1850 to S1,SS5, 1861, 676 in
1860. In 1870 there was sudden leap
to 81, 232, 1925, 442, which reached S.
369, 667, zoe in 1880. In the decade
from 1860 to 1870 Pennsylvania made
such gains on New York that it was a
very good second. But in 1880, New
York appears winner by many lengths.
In our state there are 42,739 factories,
employing capital aggregating S5l4.-
246, 575 and hands numbering 531. 473-
The wages paid are yearly 1913, 634, O29,
the materials used are worth 1859, $751;
$50, and the product is worth Sl,0S0,-
63o, COG. Taking wages paid as a
standard, Pennsylvania is the second in
rank, and Massachusetts, third. Missis-
sippi shows II small but positive decline.
Missouri a large decrease from $751;
100000 to S27,000,000. and Nevada
paid in wages under $500,00 instead
of five times rs much. Otherwise the
law of increase is universal, even in
New England, and elsewhere in the
south. Between 1870 and 1880 MINES
ota and Texas doubled their annual
payment of wages, the first from S4,-
600, 900 to SS,000,00 and Texas from
81, 100000 to So, 1888 900. In California
the increase was from &2l, 100000 to
S3S, 600. 600; in Illinois from $3i, 000,-
600 to S57, 900, 900; in New jersey, $685.
100000 to S46.000,0 in Ohio, $49,-
600, 600 to So, 000,000; in Virginia, S5,-
1888, 600 to $7,5O0,000; in Wisconsin,
SIS, 800, 600 to nearly S19,000,000. 1t is
a monotonous record of prosperity
New York Times.