The record-union., 1893-05-02
HAVE OUTsTRIPPED EUROPE
The United States Has Become the
Greatest Manufacturing Countrv

The United States Has Become the
Greatest Manufacturing Country.
r. IL. Edmonds, a journalist of Balti
more, one OF the most eminent author
tiles on the conditions of recent progress
III the United States, contributes to the
Enginee31ng MdgdEiiIe an Interesting and
valuable paper entitled "a Decade of
Marvellous Progress" from which few
conclusions are extracted:
The United States is now the leadino
manufacturing country i'll the world
we have Tar outstrippeG all other nations
IN the magnitude OF our industrial opera
uons. 1t is almost tincomprehensible that
in ten years the increase of capital in
vested In manufactures should exceed the
total invested only twenty years ago.
ihe value OF our manufactured products
increased about 10 per cent; add 90 per
cent. to the output of 1890 and we wonld
have Sl3, ,700,0O0,000 in l900-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, 900, 900, while d smaller
percentage of gain, only equaling in
volume the total increase in 1890 over 1880.
would bring the figures to over $3.50,
OOO. IL our coal miners add to
the output of 1890 as many tons
as they added to that of 1850
Ignoring in this the percentage of growth.
2l, 100000 tons will be the production il,
1900. No other country in the world ever
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 broaden
ing out.
Contrast our position and condition
with Europe, with resources SURPRISING
those of all Europe, with wealth-creating
possibilities in soil, minerals, timber and
climate unequaled by Europe, and prac-
tically without limit to their profitable
utilization, with a homogeneous popula-
ton of 65,0O0,0O0 people unvexed by the
arbitrary regulations of half a dozen diff
ferent Governments and free from the
drain OF standing armies, the United
States justly commands the wonder and
admiration 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 business is YEARLY
increasing in cost Of production. while
ours IS decreasing. 1t cannot meet the
worlds growing demand for iron and
steel because it cannot increase its pro-
duction to any great extent. 1t produces
less pig-iron now than it did ten years
ago. Much OF its ore ii imports from
distant countries. Its cotton is all i'm
ported. 1t spends about S75O, O,GOO, 600 a
year for foreign food-stuffs. On the con-
tinent every nation is burdened with
debt and none of them can ever hone to
pay off its obligations. Measured by
their natural resources and advantages
for continued growth against their debts
and the many disadvantages under
which they LABOR they are practically
bankrupt. In all Of them the cost of pro-
duction and living must steadily increase.
In the United States we have scarcely
laid the foundation for our future great
ness. 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 grrund in the de.
velopment of our mineral wealth and our
agricultural growth can scarcely be linn
tied.