New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-24
NETWORKS SUPREMACY.
COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL POWER
OF THE METROPOL1a

OF THE METROPOLIA
~iSrohlCAL OUTLINE OF THE GROWTH AND DE-
VELOPMENT OF THE LAST CENTURY AND
THE FEATURES OF FOREIGN AND DO
MEsTTc TRADE MANUFACTURING EN-
rERPRIsEs AND THE VAST CAP
ITAL 1NvoLvED-IIARBoR AND
TERMINAL FACILITIES
I'D BANKING INsTI-
TUTIoNs
Future generations in their historical re-
searches. will refer to the year 1893 az a most
memorable for this country From the
point of view of to-day. it has been in many
respects most remarkable. Never before has
the importance Of the United States as a COM
mercal factor in the worlds progress been
more boldly outlined. The war with Spain in
torrupted for the first time period Of peace ex-
tending over thirty-three years The overwhelm-
ing victory OF the An erican forces on land and
sea, but more particularly the magnificent
fighting power Of the Navy opened the eyes OF
other nations and at the same time called out
wholesome respect for the Stars and Stripes.
which amounts almost to a guarantee Of future
success in international trade relations.
Prosperity is here. The baneful influences Of
the panic Of 1893 have disappeared. Commerce,
domestic and foreign, basks in the effulgent
rays OF renewed business activity and restored
confidence. Every sign points to an era Of I'M
paralleled and uninterrupted progress. Peace
has been accomplished. Crops unusually
large and prices satisfactory. The banks all
over the country have more money than they
know what to do with. The National finances
IN
appears upon the books Of the Treasury. and
the receipts from internal revenue, customs and
war taxes are amply sufficient to meet ex-
penses without the issue OF bonds or other ex-
treme measures. The combined volume Of ex-
ports and imports is unprecedented, and the
balance OF trade favors the United States to
the tune of about $4,000. coo. Unless all prom
Uses fail. the opening years of the coming CEN
fury will signalize the most wonderful cycle in
the history Of time
ELEMENTS OF GREATNESS.
At such a moment the eyes Of the entire Ma
ton, and the civilized world wen. are fixed
upon the city Of New-York. the financial and
commercial centre Of the New Word This great
metropolis, with its Unreasonable wealth, its
vast population. it's Incompatible harbor and
shipping facilities its great railroad systems
and terminals and with its prestige as the
chief city of the leading Commonwealth OF the
Nation, looms up the most conspicuous factor
In the advancement OF foreign and domestic
trade.
In the supplement which this paper places
before its readers to-day the effort has been
made to set forth the present magnificent com
mercal supremacy ard financial power Of the
city with an outline of the growth and de
velopment which have led up to it, The follow
ing pages will be found to contain valuable in
formation and statistics, gathered from
thoritatiVe sources. concerning the leading in
dustries Of the great city and the four parts
complete. should prove invaluable for future ref
erence and shoulc be carefully preserved for
such purpose.
According to figures which below rather
than above the actual valuation, aptal TO the
amount Of about 25O0OOOO is invested in
in what was formerly New York
City alone An army Of 10000 finds daily en-
ployment. These people draw in wages the
enormous sum Of S23OW0,0OO every year, and
the value Of the manufactured product they aid
in turning out is computed at S175,00OCU. As |
much more capital is invested in the various
cities and towns lying within a radius Of twenty !
miles of the City Hall. Take Brooklyn which is I,
now in NcW-York. and whose manufacturing in |
dustries are growing to such extent that she !
Is likely to add another and more practical title
TO the one she already wears with so much |
grace, that OF the City OF Churches. Her in |
vested capital in manufacturing enterprises is !
fixed at about S1G2 100000 In the factories of |
manifold industries O9OO0 persons find employ |
nent, drawing in wages SGj,o0O,0o0 year. The
value Of the manufactured product is placed at
about S2G9OOOOO0 Here alone is an army of
more than 10000 bread winners. and no ac-
count is taken Of the thousands of people en-
gagged in other pursuits in wholesale and retail
stores.