Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-05-05
Some Facts About New England.

American Review, appeared in the
Nav number. 1t is the purpose of
these articles to treat of this country
under five divisions, New England, the
Middle. the Southern, the prairie and
| the Pacific states, New England being
considered in this number. The au-
thor. the eminent English statistcian,
Mulhall has succeeded in bringing out
by comparisons some very interesting
material. such as may well be crafty
ing to the New Highlander and afford
ample reason for this fiattering conclu-
sion which the author draws: Com
pleting the survey of New England we
communities and much to be proud of,
as well as to thank heaven for. 1t is
true that she has not the boundless
prairies of the West, nor Sierras teem-
ing 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
situation, unquestionable advantages
for the development of industry and the
enjoyment of the blessings thereon at
tendant"
1t is not surprising to him that our
population has not grown so rapidly
as in the whole country. We had less
room i'm which to expand and he might
which a new country offers, though the
measure of this influence is hardly pos
sible of demonstration by figures and
ratios He believes New England is to-
day typical of the American people not
withstandng half the population is
composed of immigrants and their
children. This fact he regards as the
strongest evidence of the assimilating
character of American institutions.
He assumes that the cause why the
American population does not increase
as in other parts Of the Union is that
| bIOlHtl JClidlIidI piC1tiS ttSl
and has sought it in the great agricul
tural regions. Possibly this is correct
but it seems to lose sight of what is
hardly disputable that the Americans
have been better able to achieve sue
cess in the development of newer coun
try than have the immigrants not yet
in touch with the aggressiveness and
restless energy Of the American spirit.
He accounts for the falling off in New
England agriculture by the develop
ment of greater facilities in the West.
This is patent to ALL though minor in
degree. The decrease in the average
number CT acres in the New England
farm, from 81 acres in 1850 to So acres
in 1880, he attributes to an increase of
dairy farms. He finds that while the
average size of the New England farm
is IS acres, that of the Union is IS acres
but while the value of the products of
the former averages $14 per acre that of
the Union is but 81 per acre This he
attributes likewise to the growth of
dairy farming.
The most marvellous growth has beer
in manufactures, the value of the out
put of which has quintupled since 1850.
The magnitude of this industry in
New England is 1919 per inhabitant, in
Great Britain $115, France $74, Ger
many 1863, and Belgium $SS. In 1850
this ratio between New England and
Great Britain was $1o4 to sl11, where in
1890 it was 1919 to Sis. OF this Massa-
chusetts stands for 60 per cent of the
total. In the textile industry Great
Britain has 8S3 millions invested where
New England has $50 but in the shoe
industry New England has 16T millions
of dollars in value where England has
but IA millions. In this phenomenal
growth he notices that the wages of OPP
eratives have risen in higher ratio than
the output. Mr. Mulhall is an English
man nut ne says the New England
operative is in much better position
than the factory hands in Great Brit
ain, France or Germany
New England with one-fourteenth of
the population of the Union has one
fifth the banking power. The deposits
per inhabitant are in New England
Sl51, in Great Britain SIS, Prussia $21,
and at least two-thirds of our deposit
tors belong to the working classes,
another evidence of the better condition
of our ''toiling millions" While the
accumulation of wealth in New Eng
land has not been so great in forty
years as in the Middle and Western
states the accumulation has been much
greater than in European countries.
The agricultural capital however,
bears a smaller ratio to the other cap
ital in New England than in England,
in the former being II per cent and in
the latter Is per cent. The taxation
per inhabitant in New England is $3.50