St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-06-24
WE HAVE OUTsTRIPPED EUROPE
The United States Has Become the
Greatest Manufacturing Country.

Mr.. r. Fl. Edmonds, one of the most
eminent authorities on the conditions of
recent progress in the United States, con-
tributes to the Engineering Magazine an
interesting and valuable paper entitled
IA Decade of Marvellous Progress,
from which a few conclusions are en-
tractcd.
The United States is now the leading
manufacturing country in the world.
We have far outstripped all other ma
tions in the magnitude Of our industrial
operations. 1t is almost incomprehensl-
BILE that in ten years the increase in CAPT
tai invested in manufactures should cx-
coed the total invested only twenty
years ago. The value of our manufac-
tured products increased about 60 per
cent add 60 per cent. to the output of
1890 and we would have $13, 70o,O 600, 600
in 1oO0-but that is too much to expect.
The same rate of growth in mining in
terests in this decade as in the last would
make our mineral output in 1900 nearly
$1,000, OOO,O while a smaller percent
age of gain, only equaling in volume
the total increase in 1890 over 1880,
would bring the figures over $3.50, 0O0,-
900. If our coal miners add to the out
put of 1890 as many tons as they added
to that of 1880, ignoring in this the per
centage of growth, eli, 100000 tons will
be the production of 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 hating. In fact,
the development of our foreign and do
mcstic trade and commerce and of our
industrial interests is steadily broadening
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
practically without limit to their profit
able utilization, with a homogeneous
population of 65, 900, 900 people unvexed
by the arbitrary regulations of half a
dozen different governments and free
from the drain of standing armies, the
United States justly commands the Won
der and admiration of the world.
Great Britain is no longer the manufac
turing 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 it imports from
distant countries. Its cotton is all i'm
ported. 1t spends about $3.50, 900, 600
year for foreign food-stuffs. On the
continent every nat ion is burdened with
debt and none of them can ever hope 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 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 agricul-
tural growth eau scarcely be limited.