The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-21

years. and nov, United States Commits
sioner of Labor, says:
Conditions of Labor.
THE condition of labor. as 1t now exists,
is vast Improvement upon its condition
at any other period. This might be prov
ed by an exhaustive citation OF wages
and prices during the past 100 years were
such citation necessary. 1t may, perhaps,
be well simply to say that wages, even
during the past half century. have increas-
ed on the whole something over 90 per
cent, while the general course of prices
has been downward. This is true of other
countries in which machinery performs an
Important pare in production; but 1t is es-
sentially true in America. for here, with
our vast resources. our peculiar systems
of education and of government. eXertiug
great influence upon the minds of ALL
wages are higher than in any other coun-
try in the world"
The statistics show that deposits in
savings banks have increased from $5i9,-
S7i,S5S in 1870 to 81 $50 954 in 1s99-an in
crease OF so per cent. while the popua ton
has increased 100 per cent. The number
of deDostors has increased from 1850, SAC
in 1870 to $685. lS in 1S99-au increase Of
2iS per cent, while population has in
creased 100 per cent. Evidently wage
earners. while living better than the peO-
pie of other countries, have also been
able to save more of their wages year by
year Should the same tendencies con-
tinue there is no reason to doubt that the
condition of men who labor with their
hands viii continue to improve during the
coming century as 1t has in the past.
Railway statistics show that the total
freight carried one mile in 1888 exceeded,
by 25,99S, 402 800 tons. the total freight car
rled one mile i'm 1885. These figures are
inconCciVable Twenty-Five billion tons
one mile means $1,000 900 tons 900 miles
10 600 600 mill or
$50 miles. Even these figures are too large
for us to comprehend the magnitude of the
growth of commerce from 1895 to 1898, but
comparing them with the preceding FIVE
year period, 1890 to 1885 we find that the
latter year showed an increase of only
know that the 25OOO00O 600 in
crease from 1895 10 1898 repre-
sents an almost fabulous development.
Increase In Population.
"Two-thirds of the continental area of
the United States lies west of the Mis-
sissppi river. To-day this vast area Is
inhabited by only 2i,O00O00 people while
the one-third of our area which,lies to the
east of that river is inhabited by S., O0O-
600
II have been at some pains to secure
what may be regarded fairly accurate
estimates of the growth Of our population
during the next century, for not long ago
when / had the pleasure of speaking in
Chicago. | quoted an Englishmau. who
predicted that by 1850 the United States
would he a nation of 10000 900 people
THAT estimate is probably too high.
DIR. Henry S. Pritchett. now superintend-
ent of the United States coast and geo.
detic survey, has demonstrated mathemat-
| ically the law Of growth of population in
the United States. His figures. under the
operation of such law, have been found
to be nearly accurate with reference to
the population in the census years Of the
past, and, according to the same law, the
population of the United States in 1850
will be 190000C00, while at the end of the
century, in the year 700, the population
will be 3S5,000,000
"Such an increase Of population during
tho next century would appear to be
ominous were it not for the fact that
despite the tremendous development
which has taken place within the period
to which our attention has been devoted
our resources have only barely been
| touched. while no doubt many yet remain
to be discovered "