The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-07-29
WE ARE THE PEOPLE.
AGRICULTURE is STILL OUR LEAD
ING INDUSTRY.

In Ten Years Farms Have Increased Thirty
Per Cent In vaIue-A Fourth OF the
Worlds Coal and a Third OF It's Iron
Are From Our Mines.
America is the product of all nations.
Here we sec mingled all the races, all
the civilizations, all the religions and
oil the virtues and vices of all ages and
all countries.
In one grammar school in New York
80 nations are represented. Doubtless
other schools in the western cities can
make q similar showing. In the south
the foreign element is notably absent,
falling short Of 2 per cent Of the popu-
lation of Georgia and hardly exceeding
l per cent in North Carolina. The north
and west have Europe and Asia colo
nized within their borders, while we of
the south have our little Africa.
Let us see what this composite nation
is doing, after celebrating the one hun
bred and nineteenth anniversary Of it's
independence. If we limit our investi-
CATION to our material progress, the sta
tistics of the last census will be very
gratifying. Agriculture is our leading
industry in the number of persons en-
ployed and supported by it, but the val
ne of it's product it less than that of our
factories, the latter exceeding %, 0OO,-
600, 600 in 1896, while that Of agricul.
ture was only 81, 46O,O 900, 900. But our
farms have increased in value 80 per
cent in the ten years ending with 1890.
We produce tobacco in ~ states and
territories, but nearly half Of the crop
comes from Kentucky, Virginia, Ohio,
North Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylva-
MIA and Connecticut.
Our wheat crop in 1891 was 6l2, OOO,.
900 bushels, and the same year we pro-
duced 1000, 900, 900 bushels of corn.
In 1892 our cotton crop reached
9,O3s, 7O7 bales. Our hay in 1888 was
Al, 900, 900 tons, valued at $408, 900, 600.
In 1892 our farm animals were as
sesssd at 81, 46l 900, 900.
In II western states and territories
the rainfall is insufficient, and irrigation
is all that makes farming profitable.
Our mineral product for 1891 was
1868, 524, 537 in value. We produce a
fourth Of the worlds coal and q third OF
its iron. We furnish one-third of the
worlds steel, two-ffths of the worlds
copper, 90 per cent Of its gold and the
greatest part Of its petroleum.
In 1850 the capital employed in
manufactures was $3.50, 900. 900; the
hands, $4,000; the wages, $237, 900,
600; the material, 1856, 900, O0O; the
gross product, $1,O19, 900, 900; the net
product, SAGA, OOO, 600. In 1890 the fig.
ures stood as follows: Capital, 90, 1870,
900, 600, or nearly twelvefold that OF
1850; hands employed, 1865, 900, OF
nearly fivefold, in spite Of the introduc,
ton Of labor saving machinery wages,
%, 900, 600, 900, o. nearly ninefold; thus
making the average wages far higher
gross product, %, 400, 900, 900, or over
ninefold; material, IS, oO0, 000, 900, o,
ninefold; net product, -, 400, 600, 900,
OF nearly tenfold.
The average yearly wages Of employ.
ees in 1850 was $247; in 1890, $429.
In 1850 the employees got 81 per cent
Of the profit and capital 40 per cent. In
1890 these proportions had become Al
and SIS per cent respectively.
New York city alone produced $3.50,
600, 900 Of manufactured products in
1890 and Chicago $500, 900, 900 worth.
OF steel we now produce %one-fourth
more than Great Britain and IL pei
cent more iron.
In 1890 we had 9O4 cotton factories,
with 1854, 900, 900 capital, employing
221, 5s5 hands, with an increased pro.
duct of 40 per cen over that OF $780,
Industrially our composite, nation il
doing very we'll. Politically, socially,
religiously, morally and Internationally
we fall far short eft an ideal republic,
but measured by the worlds standard
we are steadily advancing. Altogether
the mixture Of c called the Ameri
can people may be said to be in the var
Of progress. Atlanta Constitution.