The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-29
AHEAD OF EUROPE.
The United States in the Lead as
a Manufacturing Country.
Our Industrial and Commercial Progress
as Compared with That of Foreign
Nations 4 Splendid
Showing


r. II. Edmonds. a journalist Of Bslti-
more. one of the most eminent author
tiles on the conditions of recent prog
rcss in the United States, contributes
to the Engineering Magazine an inter
esting and valuable paper entitled: ~
Decade OF Marvellous Progress, from
which a few conclusions are extracted:
The United States is now the heading
manufacturing country of the world.
We have far outstripped all other ma
tions in the magnitude of our indus
trial operations. 1t is almost incom-
prehensible that in ten years the IN
crease in capital invested in manutac-
lures should exceed the total invested
only twenty years ago. The value OF
our manufactured products increased
about go per cent: add 60 per cent to
the OUTPUT of 1890 and we would have
SIS. zoo. coo. 900 in l900-but that 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 $1,000, 000.00o. while n
smaller percentage of grain, only
equzling in volume the total increase
In 1890 over 1850, would bring the
figures TO over $3.50. coo, 900 il our coal
miners add 10 the output of 1890 as
many tons as they added u that OF
1850, ignoring in this the percentage of
growth. 2i7 900 900 tons will bc the
production of 1900. No other country
in the world ever advanced in popula-
ton and wealth as the United States
Is doing The progress of the past
shows no signs of hating. In fact, the
/ development of our foreign and domes-
tic trade and commerce and of our IN
dustriaI interests is steadily broaden
/ ing out.
| Contrast our position and condition
with Europe. with resources surpass-
/ ing those of all Europe. with wealth
! creating possibilities in soil. mincra Is,
! timber and climate uncqualed by
Europe and practically without limit
to their profitable utilization, with a
homogeneous population of G5,o00.c0o
people unvexcd by the arbitrary regu-
I lations of half a dozen different gov
I ernments and free from the drain OF
( standing armies. the United states
/ Justly commands the wonder and al
miration of the world.
/ Great Britain Is no longer the manu-
| featuring center of the world, for we
/ have taken the foremost position IN
/ that line. Its vast iron and steel busi-
ness i yearly increasing in cost of pro
/ duction, while ours IS decreasing. II
- IL
mand for iron and steel because IT can
! not increase its production 10 any great
4 extent. l. produces lees pig iron now
| than It did ten years AGO. Iuch Of It's
/ ore II imports from distant countries.
/ It's cotton Is all imported II spends
about $4,000, 900 a year for foreign
food stuffs.
On the continent every nation is bur
! dercd with debt and none OF them
ever can hope to pay off is obligations
| Measured by their natural resources
| and advantages for continue! growth
against their debts and the many dis
advantages under which they labor
they are practically bankrupt. IN al
Of them the cost 81 production and hv-
ing must steadily increase. IN the
United states vyc haze scarcely laid
the foundation tor our future great
ness. In natural resources we are