The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-08-15
MONTANA RANKS THIRD
Montana Has a High Position in
Amount of Bank Stock.
COAL MINING STATISTICS
This State Shows an Uninterrupted In
crease Since l697-A Sharp Decline
In the Price OF the Product
Futility of Bounties.

Special Correspondence Of the standard.
Washington. u. G., Aug. lt-Controllcr
OF the Currency Eckcls has just caused
To be- published by the government print
ing office a handsome illuminated chart
giving "a great deal of interesting and
valuable information concerning the ma
tionaI banking system and its operations
In the different sections OF the country.
A striking exhibit Is made of the high
position of the states Of the mountain
West In the amount OF bank stock held
per capita, Montana Is shown To rank
third among all the states OF the union
In this particular. She Is exceeded only
by Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Her
banks hold larger funds In proportion TO
the population OF the state than those
Of New York. And she Is far and away
ahead of New Jersey In that respect. SO
that from the standpoint. even of the
capitalist. II Is difficulty to see why Mon
tana should be deemed IAN undesirable
state by the celebrated citizen OF New
Jersey, lately SO persistent In his connec-
tion with the presidency.
There are others. Although Montana
leads all the mountain states, her sisters
do not show up at all badly In the con-
trollcr's new compilation. Montana =
banking funds are Nj. ~ per capita. those
Of Colorado are $50: wyoming. 3oii:
Utah. a.0s: aud Idaho 2l31 Compare
this group of states with the giant COM
monwcalth Of the Middle West and the
fine showing of the mountain states viii
be more apparent Ohio has t0.@ per
capita Illinois, ses0. Wisconsin. 2i.3I
Michigan. % So Indiana. 22.26 and Iowa
a.i
In grouping the states for purposes of
comparison by sections. the controller
uses q classification that IL unknown Ia
the gcographers. lie puts Montana
among what he calls the Western states
along with Wyoming, Colorado, the Da-
kotas. Kansas and Nebraska. and all
thy territories excepting Arizona. The
group west Of this he calls the Pacific
states. This is n rather novel division,
but Il Is not In this region alone that the
controller treats old geographical asso-
Citations with iconoclastic hands. He as
sociates Maryland. Delaware and the
District Of Columbia with the Eastern
states and calls Missouri "A Middle state.
There are Se national banks IN the
group OF 10 states and territories which
he d-signates as the Western states. Of
these Montana has but g. She has In ad-
dtion 10 banks In liquidation and nine
that are insolvent.
The United States geological survey has
completed the preparation Of that part
OF the annual report on the coal produc-
iion OF the United States relating TO Mon.
Ia lao. - IA.
Mr. Edward W. Parker. the Standard
correspondent Is enabled to present the
same from the advance proof sheets The
total coal product Of the state In given al
1894 short tons OF spot value OF
ts.?1s,6I2. Mr.. Parker says the annual
coal product Of the state has shown an
uninterrupted increase each year since
isi1. and the gain In the product and
value Of the preceding year was phsnom-
enal. The increase In production IN the
year covered by the present report. Is.
however only -. a5e short tons as against
516, ,ss the preceding year. This was ac-
companied by a sharp decline In value.
the actual loss amounting to sS7l IA. NOR,
than GO per cent. OF the total decrease IN
the value Of the bitumuinous product OF
the entire United States. The value per
ton declined from 81 50 to 81 a.. The value
per ton in 1892 was ss.3s indicating a de-
cline Of about - per cent. In four years
There was "a decrease In tn. number oi
mines worked from " In 1894 To q last
year. showing a tendency toward greater
production ~ the larger mines and IN.
closing of smaller operations. This is mo-
ticable In other states. The number OF
employees increased from ?iN In 1896 I.
1855 In 1896 and the average working
time from 223 to "a days. The following
table Is given showing the details OF Mon
tana production for the year covered b,
the report: