Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-22
CITY MANUFACTURES
How Wonderfully They Have In
creased Since 1880.
FIGURES MOST INTERESTING
Comparisons With Other Cities Ex.
clusively Devoted to Business.
A WOND RFUL SHOWING

1t was once the custom to refer to Wash
ington as manufacturing nothing more than
good bricks and bad laws. Just how true
this was of the days when II was in vogue
is a question. but surprising as the fact
may be to the country at large, and. in
deed, to many Washingtonians. it has now
been demonstrated that Washington has in
creased in Importance as a manufacturing
city and has assumed a rank high in COM
parison with other municipalities of its own
size. The product of bricks may have de-
creased somewhat, and. Ii is to be hoped,
the output Of bad laws has been reduced to
a minimum 1t is certain, however, that
other commodities are now being placed
upon the market from local establishments
at a most gratifying rate.
Bulletins have been issued during the past
winter giving tabulated returns of statistics
accumulated in the eleventh census, and
among the most interesting of these publ
cations are those relating to manufactures.
Two. particularly. are of interest TO local
readers; one relating to the District itself
and one showing the state of manufacture
ing in the 165 cities having a population OF
10000 and over in 1880. By this last bulle-
tin it is shown that Washington ranks
number Is among the 1G5 cities in the num-
tai invested. % in the number of employees,
- in wages paid and q in value of prod
ucts. This would indicate at first scrutiny
that In the amount of capital invested, the
number OF employees and the value of prod
ucts the District loses ground on the basis
OF the number OF its establishments. show
Ing the lack. perhaps, of large plants put
ting forth great products. But the item of
wages paid proves that the rate of wages
IN the District is high as compared with
other cities.
But perhaps the most gratifying comparf-
son or all TO be drawn from this bulletin
Is IN the Item of taxes and insurance paid
py the industrial establishments reported
IN the bulletin. Standing fifteenth in the
number of establishments the District
stands forty-fifth in the amount of taxes
ana seventy-eighth in the amount of insur-
ance. The disproportion between the rank
OF District in these three items is demon
stratiye Of two important facts: First,
that manufacturing establishments are
here subject to a much lower rate of taxa
tion IMAM IN the average city elsewhere,
and second. that the insurance rates and
lower.
On the basis of the capital invested the
reported taxation of Washington. roughly
calculated, is at the rate of .O0S; In New
York IL is .Ol9: in Newark, a large manu-
featuring center but smaller city. Of
course. than New York. 1t is .022. AS TO
Insurance on the same basis, the calcula-
ton gives Washington .O0l6, Newark OO4l
end New York .00i4
The rank of the cities standing above
Washington in the number of establish
ments is as follows: New York, Philadel-
phia, Brooklyn. Chicago, Boston. Cincin-
natl St Louis. Baltimore. San Francisco.
BuHaio. Milw aukee, Minneapolis, Newark,
The same rank in capital invested is:
New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Brook
lyn, st. Louis. Boston. Pittsburg, Cincin-
rati Baltimore, San Francisco, Buffalo,
Milwaukee. Cleveland. Newark, Providence
Rochester, Detroit, Minneapolis. Lowell
Fall River, Louisville. Lawrence and Wash
ington.
In the number of employees the cities
stand: New York, Philadelphia, Chicago,
Brooklyn, Cincinnati. St Louis, Boston
Baltimore. Pittsburg. Buffalo. Cleveland,
San Francisco, Newark, Milwaukee, Provi-
dence. Detroit, Rochester. Lowell, Minneap-
Oils Louisville, New Orleans, Troy, Pater-
son, Fall River, Washington.
In the total wages paid, the rank is:
New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Brook
lyn, Boston, St. Louis. Cincinnati. Balti-
more. Pittsburg, San Francisco, Cleveland,
Newark, Buffalo, Providence, Milwaukee
Detroit. Rochester. Minneapolis and Wash
ington.
The value of the products give the cities
the following standing: New York. Chi
cago Philadelphia. Brooklyn. St Louis,
Boston, Cincinnati, Baltimore. San Fran
cisco. Pittsburg, Cleveland, Buffalo. Mil
waukee Newark, Minneapolis, Providence.
Detroit, Rochester. Peoria. Louisville, New
Worcester and Washington.
How Business Jumped.
So much for the comparison between
Washington and the recognized manufac-
turing centers. The increase in the District
during the decade is shown in special bull
letin lis. The number of establishments
went from $40 in 1850 to 2.013 in 1890. a
percentage of increase of 1878. The cap
ital invested went from s5.52I.5 to s22.-
so. 961, the increase being 312.59 per cent.
The number of hands employed increased
from 7146 to y, $50. an increase of 205.S4
per cent; of these about 1900 only are in
government employ, the remainder being
engaged in purely local industries. That
the rate of wages increased with the gen.
eral increase of business is shown by the
fact that the wages paid advanced from
So 924, 612 in 1850 to Sl3,S91 ,UUS in 1890, an
increase of 253.95 per cent. The cost of ma
terials went from S5,36o, 100 to Sl5. 114, 1913.
an increase of 194.01 per cent. The value at
the factory of the goods manufactured
went from S11, So, 316 to $50 Isl, 161, the in
crease being at the rate of 204. 81 per cent.
For the sake of those Washingtonians
who may be surprised at this gratifying ex-
hibit, II may be well to state just what
these industries quoted in the last bulletin
are. Giving in the order of the number of
establishments in each trade the local in
dustries rank as follows: Boots and shoes
(custom work and repairing), 232; carpen-
tering, III: painting and paperhanging,
1856; women's clothing (dressmaking), l43;
blacksmithing. 1875; mems clothing (custom
work and repairing, ZIG; bakeries, SIS;
plumbing and gas fitting, SO; druggists
preparations mot including prescriptions,
So; tnware, ~; tobacco. 20; dentistry (me-
chanicaD, 60; confectionery, 81: printing
and publishing dncluding the government
printing office, 81, etc.
Money Invested and People EMPLOYED
The local industries in the order of the
capital invested rank thus: Printing, in
GLIDING the government printing Office
81, 131, 5O4: engraving. including plate print
ing. embracing the bureau Of printing and
engraving, sl.546. 425; carpentering, sl,2l2,-
239; breweries, sl.114.191; painting and pa
er-hanging. Z sl,10s,O50; mems clothing.
1895 691; flour. $780, brick and tile, sTIs.-
931; bakeries, sT65,219; lumber, $4,000;
plumbing, etc, sI20, periodical printing
including newspapers. s697, 702; tinware
1913, 1876; paving and paving materials, $685.
4SI; druggists preparations. s537. 625: mar
BILE and stone work, $500. 1919; foundry pro-
ducts, $4,000; and confectionery, SOL 1854
etc.
In the matter of hands employed, the
| leading District industries rank thus
Printing, 1903; carpentering. 242s; bricks,
1,204; painting and paper-hanging. l.134;
engraving, 997; paving. SIS; mems clothing.
$50; masonry. 661; plumbing. 646; women's
| clothing, GA, etc.
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