New-York tribune., 1897-08-10
THE NATIONS PRODUCTIVE FORCE.

II is the most common of all remarks that
nation must depend for prosperity upon lis pro-
ductive industries. and yet it seems 10 be one
more often overlooked than almost any other.
even in the most careful discussions OF indus
trial and financial affairs. 1t Is much easier
and more customary TO take note of the froih
on the surface than Of the deep, reslstless cur
rent beneath Just as the everyday specu-
lators who spend their lives hanging over the
tape come to think only OF the fluctuations and
the buying by this or selling by that clique. so
there are many bankers and business men. pub
lie men and journalists. who have come 10 lg-
more everything except foreign buying and sell
Ing the exports and imports. the triflng amount
of gold that comes goes. and such other sur
face indications which count for almost noth-
ing when there is a serious change for better
or worse in the productive force Of the Nation.
To understand to-day II Is necessary 10 fix
the mind mainly on the changes which have
taken place in productive force The country
has returned 10 policy which for many years
stimulated that force to the utmost. II Is now
I'm order 10 consider how much productive power
has increased. Within few years the country
has greatly increased its acreage Of cultivated
land No matter how far the report of wheat
acreage was i'll error Ill 1871. III was, III an!
rate, large enough to produce much over G1.-
100000 bushels of wheat. whereas about 800
100000 had been the previous maximum. and
over 2,OO0,0O0.000 bushels of corn in the same
year. and in the same year over 9.WU0OO bales
Of cotton. whereas prior 10 1880 ajOut I.WO.0OO
had been the maximum. Nothing is haZarded
in saying that the increase IN six years since
1901 has also been large, as ii always Is when
mutitudes of workers are driven from mechan-
cal and manufacturing pursuits by years of
depression. and when large railway mileage has
recently been added In regions previously set
tied but sparsely 1t would be absurd to sup
pose that the tide of migration and settlement
TO lands thus recently made available has ceased.
The increase Of railway mileage in the Pacific
States exceeded II per cent since 1891. in North
western and Southwestern States it exceeded
} per cent. and in the South Atlantic States .
per cent. and all this gain has not occurred
without much greater relative increase in set
tlcment and in cultivated land. But if weather
favors as in many sections IL has this year
such increase may be expected to more than
make up for some loss in older regions
The productive power in manufactures has
also increased greatly in spite of the pro-
longed ideness in many works. that the first
opportunity for full employment may be expect
ed to show an output beyond precedent. The
greatest output of pgr0n in any month prior
TO 1891 had been 1856 tons weekly but in
November. 1895. the actual output rose to 211-
306 tons. with many furnaces idle. an advance
of IS per cent, and some Of the largest and most
powerful works in existence have since been
added 1t would not be in the least surprising
to see the greatest output in 1885, much sur
passed as soon as the market calls for full
production. The number OF cotton spindles in
creased over 2.0O0.00O. or II per cent. from 1891
to 1896. and has increased further since. The
years Of depression have been In most Industries
years of marked Improvement in machinery and
in methods, as 10 secure n larger return with
less expense. and. while the fruit of all this i'm
prOvcment does not appear except in low prices
until there comes demand for higher produc
tOn, it will surely be- seen rs soon as general
revival Of business calls for supplies of goods
propOrioned 10 a population now materially
larger than in 1892.
When American industrial Independence has
been realized. so that the full working capacity
Of the people can be again employed, it will sud-
denly be found that The rush of business will
render fluctuations In foreign trade of little con-
sequence. The manufactured products already
amounted TO nearly S10.OOO,0OO.OOO yearly in
1890. and an increasc OF one-half in seven
years would be nothing surprising. Com
pared with this, the increase of about $780,
100000 In manufactured exports during the
last ten years OF which much Is said
does not appear n large item, nor would
anybody think it quite worth while to ar
rest n production OF several thousand millions
AT home in order to secure by extreme cheap
ness foreign markets for another hundred mill
ions. Even The exports of agricultural products.
necessary az they are TO the general prosperity,
do not rise in any year TO IA fifteenth of the man
ufactured products In 1892, nor Q twentieth Of