News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1893-04-20
SurRed Ahead.

An article contributed to the "Engi-
neering Magazine" by r. H. Edmunds
of Baltimore, on the conditions Of re-
cent progress in the United States,
shows that we have had a decade of
marvellous growth. Mr.. Edmunds
claims that the United States is now
the leading manufacturing country in
the world. He says:
We have far outstripped all other
nations in the magnitude of our in
dustrial operations. 1t is almost in
comprehensive that in ten years the
increase in capital invested in manu-
features should exceed the total in
vested only 20 years ago. The value
of our manufactured products in
creased about 60 per cent; add 60
per cent. to the output of 1890 and
we would have $13, 700, 100000 in
1900-but this is too much to expect.
The same rate of growth in mining
interests in this decade as in the last
would make our mineral output in
1900 nearly 81, 200, 100000, while a
smaller percentage of gain, only
cqualing in volume the total increase
in 1890 over 1880, would bring the
figures to over $3.50. 1000. If our
coal-miners add to the output of 1890
as many tons as they added to that
of 1880, ignoring in this tho percent
age of growth, $217, 100000 will he
the production of 1890. No other
country in the world has advanced in
population and wealth as the United
States is doing. The progress of the
past shows no signs of halting. In
fact the development of our foreign
and domestic trade and commerce
and of our industrial interests is
steadily broadening out.
Contrast our position and condi-
tion with Europe. with resources sur
passing those of all Europe, with
wealth creating possibilities in soil,
minerals, timber, and climate un-
equalled by Europe and practically
without limit as to their profitable
utilization, with a homogeneous
population of 60, 900, 900 people un-
veXed by the arbitrary regulations of
half a dozen different governments
and free from the drain of standing
armies, the United States Justly com
mands the wonder and admiration of
the world.
Great Britain is no longer the
manufacturing center of the world,
for we have taken the foremost posi-
tiOn in that line. Its vast iron and
steel business is yearly increasing in
cost of production, while ours is de-
creasing. 1t cannot meet the worlds
growing demand for iron and steel
because it cannot increase its produc-
tion to any great extent. 1t pro-
duces less pigiron now than it did ten
years ago. Much of its ore it inn
ported from distant countries. Its
cotton is all imported. 1t spends
about $750,000,000 a year for the
foreign food stuffs. On the continent
every nation is burdened with debt
and none of them can hope to pay off
its obligations.
Measured by their natural resources
and advantages forcontinued growth
against their debts and the money
disadvantages under which they labor
they are practically bankrupt. In
all of them the cost of production
and living must steadily increase. In
the United States we have scarcely
laid the foundation for our future
greatness. In natural resources we
are richer than all of Europe; we are
paying off our debts faster than they
are due, we have barely scratched the
ground in the development of our
mineral wealth and our agricultural
growth can scarcely be limited.