Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-12-09
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Mr.. HarriSOn's Discussion Of the Affairs
Of the Country,
with Strong Emphasis on the Results OF
an x-..... =. q ut......to.,

TO the senate and HOUSE of Representatives:
In submitting my annual message to Congress.
have great satisfaction in being able to say that
! the general conditions affecting the commercial
and industrial interests of the Unred States are
in the highest degree favorable.
comparison of the existing conditions with
those of the most favored period In the history
of the country will believe, show that so high
degree of prosperity aud general diffusion Of
| the comforts Of life were never before enjoyed
by our people.
The total wealth Of the co Intry in 1860 SIS.
l59 6l6O6S. In 1890 1t amounted to Sb2BlOOOOOOO.
an increase Of 2S1 per cent.
The total mileage Of railways in the United
States in 1850 was 30 626: in 1890 il l6I al, an
increase Of 4lS per cent. aud it is estimated that
there will be about 1000 miles Of track added by
| the close Of the year 1892
/ The official returns Of the eleventh census and
those of the tenth for 75 leading cities fur
nish the basis for the following comparisons:
In 1880 the capital invested in manufact uring
was 81 23l S3g go; in 1880 it 81 800 735. .SS4.
In 1880 the number of employees was l,3Ol ,3$;
| in 1890 ii was 2,2jl 1874.
In 1890 the wages earn, d were s5Ol ,965 77s; in
| 1890 they were 81, ,22l ,l10454.
In 1880 the value of the product was S2,1ll ,51a,-
| S99; in 1890 II WAS S4.t6O 2S6 S31
The wage earnings not only show an increased
| aggregate. but an increase per capita from 1886
| in 1880 to S541 in 1880, or All per cent.
The report of Ira Aver, special agent of the
| treasury department, shows that at The date of
| September 30 1892. there were 81 companies
| manufacturing TIN ana ltTnt platt III lne DHlltu
| States and u companies preparing to manufact
ure. The estimated investment in buildings and
| plants st the close of the fiscal year. June 30,
1898 II existing condit ions were to be continued,
was S., 100000 and the estimated rate production
100, 100000 pounds per annum The actual pro
ducton for the quarter ending September 3d. 1892.
was 1885, ,525 pounds.
The total value of our foreign trade exports
and imports of merchandise during the last fiscal
year 81 So, ,SSO6iO. an increase Of Sl2SS3,-
COL, over the previous fiscal year. The average
annual value Of our imports and exports Of mer-
chandise for the 10 fiscal years prior TO 1891 was
81. 457 322,0l9
The value Of our exports during the fiscal year
1892 reached the highest figure in the history OF
the government, amounting to Sl,U3O,2's,l4S, eX-
ceedng by S14j191 .3}S the exports of 1891 and ex
ceeding the value of the imports by S2J2.s15 6s3.
During the fiscal year 1892 the value Of i'm
ports free of duty amounted 10 Si51. .HJJ 65S, the
largest aggregate in the history Of our commerce.
The value Of the imports of merchandise entered
free of duty in 1882 was 55.35 per cent Of the total
value of imports as compared with i3 35 per cent
In 1891 and 81 G6 per cent in 1890.
In our coastwise trade a most encouraging de-
velopment is IN progress, there having been in the
last four years increase of 10 per cent. In in
ternal commerce the statistics show that no such
period of prosperity has ever before existed.
The aggregate traffic our railroads for the
year 1891. amounted to 70l 39S GO9 tons of freight
compared with col, ,344 l3 tons in 1890, an increase
of 1904 l12 tons.