The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-21
GAGE TALKS OF THE OUTLOOK.
AMERICAS PROSPECTS BASED ON
WHAT SHE HAS DONE.


ture and Along other Lines Hns
Been Most observation-disclosures
That show What Startling Strides
Have Been Made Within the Last
Few Years, and What May he Done
Within the Century.
Chicago, Feb. 2O-Secretary of the
Treasury Lyman ]. Gage was the guest
of honor at a dinner of 300 covers, given
this evening at the Auditorium by the
National Association of Merchants and
Travellers.
The address of Secretary Gage on 1.-THE
outlook was the only formal speech OF
the evening Several members, however,
made short talks.
Secretary Gage said in part:
I'm the effort TO secure a broad outlook
for affairs in general. / do not see how
we can do better than to follow a similar
course. Let us. therefore, review the past
Let us compare our present position as 10
commerce, manufactures, agriculture,
transport alton All other Industries with
that enjoyed at some former period of
times. Let us note the growth of popula-
ton and the increase or diminution in
wealth. Above all, let us carefully con-
eral powers of production and exchange
are relatively strong or weak as we COM
| pare the present with the past.
| "In the brief study which l beg to pre-
sent al this point. l shall institute COM
parison between 1870. 1880 1890. 1895 and 1899.
| The comparison between 1870 and 1899 will
| show the progress Of say, thirty years.
| [ select this period because it was not
until about 1870 that the effecfs of the Civ
| IL War began 10 disappear and the coun
| try TO advance normally. In general,
then, the figures given will show
the history of our development
| from 1870 TO 1899. q period when conditions
were fairly normal They furnish. there
| fore, a substantial basis from which to
| Judge the future.
Most Marvellous Development.
1.-The figures shall give are from Off
| cial sources, and they will illustrate the
| most marvellous development ever achiev-
ed by any nation within so short period
of time / shall endeavor to show this
| marvellous growth by taking those factors
which represent our social, Industrial and
! commercial life. The public school, the
newspaper, the postoffice, the telegraph,
the railway, the steamship, the product
OF the farm the product of the mine. the
product of the factory, are all represented.
! An accurate mea sure of their growth sug-
/ gests what may be in store for us In the
/ future. 10 DE OIL Nblut, " II htttHShly "
make comparison with the growth Of pop
ulation.
1.-THE population of the United States
| has doubled in the period from 1870 TO 1899,
being given as 3s55s.O00 by the census of
|. 1870 and now estima ted at over 100000.
With population showing an increase of
Just 100 per cent. from the year 1870 to
1899. we find convenient point from
which to measure the advancement of
these thirty years
First, in the matter of intelligence. No
better guide can be found than the public
school, the press, or the postofce. In 1870
the money expended in the United States
for instruction i'm public schools, includ-
ing simply the salaries OF superintendent
and teachers, amounted to $37,732,-
55s; by 1880 it had increase
to $500 .972; by 1890 to $751;
1886 ,4S4; by 1895 to $ll3 so, 3SS;
while In 1899 it amounted to s123, 500, Az. or
an increase of 227 per cent. during the
/ period while population increased but 100
| per cent The number OF newspapers and
| periodicals published i'm the United States
was. in 1870, SSH in 1880 1874; in 1890,
| IS $50; in 1895, 1880; and in 1899, q 17s-an
| increase of PSI per cent. during the Pc
riod, as against 100 per cent. In popula-
| ton The postofiice distributes not only
| the products Of the printing press, but
facilitates intercommunication and ex-
! change of thought among the people, as
| well as intercom1nunlcatlon In regard 10
business matters. II Is gratifying to find
that the number of postoffices in exist
ence has increased from 2S492 I'm 1870 to
| 5000 in lS99-an increase of 1853 per cent,
while the population was increasing 100
per cent more striking evidence of the
closeness with which our people are bound
| together in this intercommunication from
| Aty 10 city and section TO section is found
in the fact that the receipts Of the post
| office department grew from $i9.77z,-
22l in 1870 to $95.02l.3S4 In 1s99-an
increase of $50 per cent. while population
was increasing 100 per cent. Still another
| form of intercommunication which point
more especially to a growth in business
| activity Is that Of telegraph messages
sent the number in 1870 being 9157, 646
and in 1899, 76.0S5. 175-an increase of 7Ss
per cent. against an increase Of 100 per
cent in population.
| Growth of Commerc
"The growth OF commerce, especially
| that between our own people in the va