The record-union., 1894-08-07
4 REMARKABLE STATEMENT
By Joseph Nimmo, the Eminent
StatiStician.
Magnitude OF Our Internal Commerce
The American Railroad system
The Great Declination In Railroad
Rates-Products of Labor.


Rates-Products of Labor.
On the 18th of June, Hon. Joseph
Nimmo, Jr. LII. D., the eminent statls-
tician, delivered an address on the in
ternal commerce of the United States and
the law of its development before the Ma
tional Statistical Association at the Co
lumbian University, Washington, ID. G.
The association was so impressed with
the great Importance of the subject and
the manner of its treatment by MIR.
Nimmo, that it voted to present the same
to Congress and ask for its reference to
the commerce committees of the houses.
We present the address herewith.
omitting the Introductory paragraphs re-
lative to the value of statistical treatment
and the place of statistics in political
economic questions. The sub-heads
throughout the address have been in
serted by US. Mr.. Nimmo said:
The Government of the United States
has never attempted to collect statistics in
regard to the quantity or value OF COM
modities transported in the conduct OF
the internal commerce of the United
EcIabSS. anu lOT l06 Sill D16 I0dSOu tLdl IL 10
an impracticable work. Any attempt to
collect such statistics would clog the
wheels Of commerce, involve an annual
expenditure OF public money probably
exceeding the cost of the decennlal GEN.
gus, and become such q source OF eTn bar
rassment that it would fail of accomplish
ment at the very outset. OF course the
total valuation of goods transported
would constitute the record of a move
ment in which the same commodity would
appear more than once. The State OF
New York has for many years pub
lished statistics in regard to the quantity
and value OF certain commodities trans
ported on the canals which are the prop
erty of that State-but such statistics.
although interesting and valuable. are of
a special character, merely throwing
light upon the internal commerce OF the
country over a single line, and with re-
spect only TO certain leading articles
transported. The few other instances In
which the quantities and values trans
ported are ascertained may here be passed
without especial mention.
THE PRODUCTS OF LABOR.
Although it is impossible to arrive at
any precise statement, or even approxi-
mate estimate as to the value of the in
ter9al coIhmerce of the United States, it
is entirely practicable to arrive at an ap-
proxinlate estimate as to the total value
of the products of labor in the United
States-information of much greater
practical value. Ample statistics upon
which such an estimate can be based are
furnished by the National census. The
total value of the products of agriculture,
manufactures and mining reported by
the census of 1890 amounts to ST., ,4l9, 49,
349. But this is considerably short OF the
total value of the products of labor in
the United States during the census year.
The census valuation of agricultural pro-
ductiOn, 8, ,460, l07, ,454, does not include
the value OF the products OF farms of less
than three acres unless the value of such
products amounted to over $500. The
total value of products of manufactures,
amounting to S9,372, 437, ,2S3, does not in
clude the product of any establishment
the value of which was less than $500 dur
ing the census year, nor does it embrace
building and other important industries.
ENORMOUS VALUES.
The census valuation of products of
mining, S5S7, ,230, ,662, is also probably
something below the true value of all
products of that great industry, although
more nearly correct than the total for
agriculture or manufactures. So, max
ing due allowance for omissions and I'M
dervaluations, it appears safe to say that
the value of the products of labor in the
United States during the census year of
million dollars (Sl5, 900, 100000.
But even this enormous totality falls
short of stating the total value of the
products of labor in the United States.
The census valuation of completed pro-
ducts of the various Industries is simply
that of such products in the hands of
producers. When these products are
placed at the gates of commerce the serv-
ices OF the transporter add to their values
an increment varying from fraction of
] per cent. to 400 or 800 per cent, and
thus they all become, in true sense,
PRODUCTS OF TRANSPORTATION.
Many of the products of agriculture,
of mining, and of manufacture are the
subjects OF transportation and of trade
several times on their way from the or
iglnal producer to the consumer. The
services of the trader or merchant also
add to products of labor a large incre-
ment of value representing the use of
capital and personal services, so that all
products transported also become, to a
certain extent, products of commerce.
Nor must we lose sight OF the vitally inn
portanE service rendered to the internal
commerce of the country by the banker,
for the commodities Of trade on their way
from producer to consumer also acquire
a considerable additional value through
the finance of commerce. But these in
cremenfs of value at the hands OF the
transporter, the merchant and the banker,
of course lead us far into the region OF
unattainable statistics.
VALUATION OF ALL PRODUCTS.
Still it is possible to arrive at fair es-
innate as TO the total valuation which
can be assigned to all the products of
labor in the United States during the
census for $780, in the form in which
they reached the final artihcer or the
consumer. Without going into the
detail of estimates l believe it amounts to
fully eighteen thousand million dollars
year-SlS, 900, ,000,000 1t is impossible to
appreciate clearly the significance of such
an enormous amount except through
comparison-for it is an accepted truth
that the human mind can form no ade-
Quate conception OF what even one mill
ion imports. The comparison which is
most instructive in politico economic
sense is that between the foreign and the
internal commerce OF the United States.
In the light of such a comparison even
our enormous foreign market for Ameri-
can products becomes relatively insig-
nifcant.
THE TOTAL VALUE OF EXPORTS
From the United States during the year
1890 was SS45. .000, 900. This constituted
but A. per cent OF the estimated value of
the products of labor. Take from the
domestic exports of the United States in
1890 the value OF the exports OF cotton,
amounting to S25l, ,000, 900, and we find
that the exports of products of labor
from the United States embracing all
products of agriculture other than cotton,
and all products of manufactures and of
mining-constituted but 3.3 per cent. of the
estimated total value Of such products.
THE TOTAL VALUE OF THE IMPORTS
OF merchandise into the United States
during the census year amounted to S774.-
100000, and constituted but 4.3 per cent.
OF the estimated value of products of