St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-17
ST. MANUFACTURERS.

To the Editor of the Globe:
A reader who has been interested in the
GLOBES articles on st. PauTs manufacturing
interests would like to know if there is any
danger of St. PauTs prestige rs commercial
metropolis being impaired by the establish
ment of manufacturing industries on an ex-
tensive scale. In other words. if we now give
our attention to manufacturing more eX-
clusively might we not lose our grip on our
jobbing trade which is firmly established. IL
is an old adage that "a bird in the hand is
worth two in the bush," and might it not be
better for the city to cultivate the depart
ments of business which have proved success
full rather than to be dabbling with new ex-
periments. would be gratified to have your
opinion expressed on this matter in your u.s.
ualy clear way of dealing with practical SUBJ
1ects. Respectfully, A ST. PAUL CITIZEN.
March It, 1885.
We are glad that our correspondent has
called our attention to this matter. and can
assure him that there is not the least ground
for his apprehensions. On the contrary the
establishment of manufactures will add to
instead of detract from our commercial i'm
pOrtance. Take, for illustration. the CITY
of New York. which is the metropolis of
the continent, and yet it ranks first of all
the American cities in manufactures New
York has II, 939 manufacturing establish
ments, employing 22S, 352 hands, nearly
equal to the total population of st. Paul
and Minneapolis. The capital invested in
manufacturing in New York city amounts
to $1S1, 2O6, 356. There is annually paid
out in wages to the employees of those man.
ufactories the sum of S97, $50. 021. The
material used annually is valued at more
than 1925, 900, 600. while the products an
nually turned out amount to S472, 926, 427.
These statistics do not include the manu-
factories of Brooklyn, which ranks the
fourth manufacturing city in the Union.
Philadelphia is second to New York
in population and commercial i'm
portance and likewise second in its mann.
featuring statistics. The exhibit for PhiIa-
delphia is S,567 manufactures, EMPLOYING
1S9,527 hands, with capital of S1S7. OOO.-
600, paying S64, 265, 600 in wages. and using
materials of the value of $199. 900. 900. and
yielding products valued at 1924. $40. 935.
Chicago, the third in rank of manufacturing
cities, exhibits the following figures: Num-
Der of establishments, 1919; capital en-
ployed, SOS. $50, 1855; number of hands. 70 :
Ala; wages paid, S34, 653, 1862; value of mate
rails, S179, 209, 610; annual value of products.
$3.50, 900, 900. These figures do not show that
manufacturing is in any way detrimental to
the jobbing interests of the three leading
commercial cities of the United States. On
the other hand they illustrate the conspicu-
Gus part which manufactures play in the
growth and prosperity of cities. Suppose
that st. Paul and Minneapolis together had
manufacturing interest in the same pro-
portion to wealth and population that
New York has and what would be
the result? There would be over
1000 manufacturing establishments CIV
ing steady employment to $4,000 peo-
pie to whom would be paid nearly $2O,-