The Republican journal., 1897-07-22
The Progress of New England

ANNIE DRlGHAM w ARD.
The Progress of New England
An article in last months issue of the
North American Review by Michael G..
Mulhall, F. S. S., presents some very in
teresting facts as to the progress of the
New England States and their condition
in comparison not only with the rest of
the Union, but with the most advanced
European nations. We Gull few of the
figures for the benefit of our readers.
The population of New England has
while that Of the United States has more
than trebled. In 1850 we had here 7355.
900; the estimate for 1897 is !, 200. 900
showing that by 1900 the full double will
be reached. The density of population is
Is persons to a square mile, while it is
only % for the whole country. Massa-
chusetts, which in 1850 had only 36 per
cent of New England's population, now
has so per cent. Americans are still in
the majority as against both foreign set
tiers and their children, and of the chill
dren it my be said that, under the int1u-
ence of our common schools, large pro
portion soon become enthusiastic and full
tiedged Americans. The urban popula
ton more than doubled between 1870 and
$780, growing from l, O75, 900 to :, 276, 600,
while the rural population stood still. In
the same twenty years the number of
Americans has increased only six per
cent.-from =, 81, 900 to 2, 4S9, 0O0-while
the foreign settlers (mostly Canadians and
1rish) have grown from l, l45, 900 to 2,
211, 900; which shows that many thous
ands of Americans have gone West, pre-
ferring agriculture to manufactures, and
giving over their farms in the East to
others.
Agriculture has lost ground in New
England since 1850, owing to the opening
mp of the Western States, the cultivated
area having declined and the production
of food diminished. The number of
farms, however, has risen from 167, 700 to
$50, 100, the average acreage to farm
being now So instead of 81. The increase
has been in dairy farms, the number of
mich COWS having increased from COS, 600
to S21 600; but the number is still INSULT
Gent to supply the population with milk
and butter. Hay constitutes more than
one third of farm products. The average
size of American farms is IS acres, forty
per cent. more than in New England; but
the products taking the country through
are only S11 per acre. while here they
are S14, showing that the smaller the
farm the greater the product per acre.
There has been great rise in the value of
the land, each farm now representing a
capital value of 81, 90 as against s., 80
in 1850
Manufactures are the most important of
New England industries. The value of
the output has quintupled since 1850,
being then 2S3, 900, 900 as against l, 499. 600
n 1890. Wages have still further increas-
ed, having risen from 1000, 900 to 40.
000 900. Relatively to population no Eu-
ropean country rivals New England in
manufactures. The value Of the product
per inhabitant is three times here what it
is IN Great Britain, four times what it is
in France, and five times what it is in
Germany, the exact figures being 319. 90,
1l3.OO, HOO and 90. 90. The relative
progress has also been much greater here
than liz Great Britain, the latter country
having grown in forty years only from
Hoo to 1900, while New England has
grown from 104 90 to 319.00 In other
words, while British manufactures have
done little more than keep pace with the
population, those of New England show a
ratio per inha bitant three times as great
in 1890 as in 1850. Massachusetts stands
for 80 per cent of the total, Connecticut
coming second. The textiles constitute
one fourth of the total, cotton and wooden
being just about equal. The making of
boots and shoes is carried on to degree
that eclipses all European nations. The
product in New England is 167. 900, 900,
or 36. 90 to person, while the product in
Germany is 15S, 900, 900, in Great Britain
LA, 900, 900, in France 10, 000 600, being
800, 400 and 800 to a person. 1t is
gratifying to note that the wages of the
operatives have risen in higher ratio than
the output, the latter having increased
81 per cent, the former 81 per cent
Wages averaged in 1890 exactly 900 per
week, these rates being much higher than
those in Europe; and as the cost of food is
less here, the New England operative is in
much better condition than factory
hands across the sea.
The savings bank deposits amounted in
1894 to S755, 900, 600, or S151 per head. The
number of depositors is 2,OS2, 600, or AZ
per cent. OF the population, as compared
with % per cent. in Great Britain. The
amount of deposits in Great Britain is
S64S, 600, 600, and in France 1874. 900. 600
in the one case $40 per head, in the
other SIS. Banking is more fully develop
ed in New England than in other parts of
the Union, one fifth of the banking power
being here, although there is only one
fourteenth of the population. The dis
counts even in the Middle States are only
$40 per head as against Sill for New Eng
land. In the Union generally it is S41.
The wealth of New England is put at So
223, 900, 600, of which 50, SO4, 600, 900 are
in Massachusetts, and 50, 1891, 600, 600 con-
sists of houses.
New England spends $14, 600, 900 annu-
ally in public instruction, or So per head,
as compared with $1.3O in Great Britain
and so cents in France. The percentage
of persons over ten years who cannot read
and write is only six, which is almost
wholly foreign; of illiterate Americans
there are only IL per cent, nearly all of
which is among the colored population.
Prof. Mulhalrs concluding paragraph is
as follows: ''Completing the survey of
New England, we find that she has little
to envy in other communities, and much
to be proud of as we'll as to thank heaven
for. 1t is true that she has not the bound
less prairies of the West, nor Sierras
teeming With precious metals, but she
| seems to possess in the racial character of
her people, and in the nature of her eli
mate, no less than in her geographical sit
uation, unquestionable advantages for the
development of industry and the enioy-
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