The Butte inter mountain., 1901-07-31
AMERICAN PROGRESS IN FIGURES.


United States department of labor, has
investigated the industrial changes since
1890. with results that must surprise even
those persons who have enjoyed occas-
ional excursions into the field of pros
perity statistics. Take the leading COM
parson of our growth: In 1890 the total
value of products was 9,372,4s7, and in
1900, the estimate. based on the tabula-
ton Of states already made is. $15,oO0,-
100000. The total national wealth, in
other words tangible things at true val
uation, has increased from s65 037, ,091 1877
in 1890 to a sum ranging near $94, ,000, ,000,
900 in 1900 Thus the per capita is raised
from $3o7,6S in 1850 asd $1,036 in 1890, to
$3.50 in 1900. Despite the Spanish war
the national debt, less cash in the treas
ury. is only $14.52 per capita, as against
$l4.22 ten years ago.
The advancement in agricultural de-
yelopment has kept pace, if it has not
exceeded progress in other directions. AS
against 4,564,641 farms in 1890 there are
now 5,7o0,oOo: an increase in the decade
Of nearly 1,140,000 farms. The increase
in the number of farms between 1890 and
1900 is almost as great as the total num-
Der of farms in 1850. The value Of all
farm products in 1890 was $2.460, TO-. ASA
The estimated value Of farm products in
1900 was something over $4,000, 600. 900.
The value Of the products Of the mines,
fisheries, forests and farms at the be-
u; nf ho Ia
$50, s9l. Today conservative esti-
mate places the values of all such pro-
ducts at 5000, ,oOo, 900.
The number of manufacturing estab-
lishments in 1890 was s55.415. At the
present time the census Office has re-
ceived the schedules Of 5000. but prob
ably not more than 100000 of these are
for establishments comparable with
those counted is 1890. Taking this cal
culation as fairly correct. however, there
has been gain in the ten years of
nearly 100000 esta blishments engaged in
the manufacture of goods.
For the calendar year 19O0,' says Mr..
Wright, "our exports of domestic pro-
ducts were greater than those of any
other country, their total value for that
year being $1,453, ,O13,659. Great Britain
ranked next. with s1,41s,s4s,ooo. and Ger
many next with $1,050 611,0 900. Thus the
United States has reached commercial
supremacy among the great exporting
nations of the world. Twenty-Five years
ago this country stood fourth in rank,
the United Kingdom being first, Ger
many second, and France third. The
United States has increased her exports
during the past twenty five years 1872 per
cent, Germany 7s per cent. the United
Kingdom "a per cent, and France per
cent"
The manufactured products, now con-
stitute about 30 per cent of the total ex-
ports. In 1860 they were only 1916 per
cent Where formerly we helped merely tc
feed other countries we are now supply
ing them fuel as we'll. Iron and steel that
once was imported. we now export. Ter
years ago we had little or no production
of tin-plate, the imports being owe,
1000 900, 900 pounds in 1891, but last yeal
we imported only 10S, ,4S4, 1926 pounds, lit.
tie more than one-tenth of the importa-
tions of 1891 while in place of manufac.
turing little or no tin-plate ten years age
we now manufacture nearly 1000, ,0OO, ,00l
pounds.
Relative money wages that is, nomina
wages. taking 1860 and the relativ,
money wages of that year as 100 stoot
at 1889 in 1890; that is to say, the in
crease between 1860 and 1890 was $50 PEI
cent In 1899 the relative position wa
49,. per cent Wages were higher il
1892 than at any previous period in thu
history of the country, but in 1899 the.
were still higher, making 1899 and 100
the period when the very highest wage
In our history were recorded.
On the basis of relative wholesal
prices, the situation in 1890 relative t.
1850 600 being the basis) was e6.3: tina
U.s. prices had fallen from 100 to 96.a
while in 1899 they had fallen to Ss.e. Us
ing these two bases, it is easily ascer
tanned by a calculation that in 1890 tn
relative real wages--that is, wages meas
ured by wholesale prices--stoOd at 16
relative to 100 in 1860. while in 1899 the,
stood at 1852. an increase in the relativ
purchasing power based on Wholesal
prices. of s5.2 per cent over 1860 and
points higher than in 1890. In Massa
chusetts, a great manufacturing state
the relative weekly earnings of $4,000 em
ployes in April 1900. stood at 1O94 O
e.84 points above the level of February
lS9S
The savings deposits of the country i
1890 amounted to ST. sss. rs. .954. or an av
srage due each depositor of $4ol.lo. Te