The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-19
INDIANA AS A MANUFACTURING
STATE.

The Census Bureau statistics regarding
the manufacturing industries of Indiana,
published in the Journal yesterday, furnish
a remarkable exhibit of Industrial progress
during the last ten years. 1t is not be-
lieved that any other State will make a
better showing. If as good. BY the census
of 1890 the State had L, 354 factories with
an aggregate capital invested of S132, 400, 800.
There were employed in these factories
124, $40 persons and their annual wages
were ISL. 749, $40. The value of the products
was S226, $685. S2. The report of 1900 shows
1S,O15 manufacturing establishments, an in
crease of 5,661 since 1890. The aggregate
increase of IS per cent. over 1890. The num-
Der of persons employed in 1900 was 155, $50,
an increase of 1907 since 1890. the aggre-
gate Of wages paid was $50, SAT, S17 as against
$51, 749, $40 in 1890, and the value of the
products was S37S, 23S, 1OO, an increase of al
most 81 per cent. since 1890. This remark
able growth of manufacturing industries
was largely due to natural gas, but it was
not confined to the gas belt as several
cities outside of it showed almost as great
an increase as those within IL, though
some of the latter had hardly any manu-
factories at all in 1890. No city in the State
has shown more remarkable growth in
this repect during the last two decades
than Indianapolis. In 1880 the city reported
an aggregate capital invested in manu-
featuring Industries $40. O49,5O and value
of products s27, 453,OS9; in 1890 it reported
capital invested s14.51O,379 and value of
products $32, O25, S51; in 1900 capital invested
$50, S99, ia and value of products $685. go, 264.
Natural gas may have contributed some
thing to the growth of manufactures in
this city but not to any great extent. The
two old companies cut off factories some
time ago and the only company that was
supplying the fuel, the Manufacturers
Natural Gas Company, supplies it at meter
measurement only. The supply is steadily
diminishing and is not expected to last
much longer. Many local manufacturer
use coal exclusively even now, as all will
have to do at no distant day. 1t is doubt
full if natural gas contributed anything to
the growth of manufacturing industries in
this city during the last ten years, and GER
tainly the entire failure of the supply will
not have any injurious effect as far as
this city is concerned. The remarkable
growth of local manufa cturing industries
in the last ten years, an increase of 142
per cent. in the amount of capital invested
and of 50 per cent. in the value of products,
was due to natural and permanent causes
and in no appreciate degree to exceptional
or e%phemeral ones. In other words, this
is not a boom town. Its growth is not de-
pendent on adventurous circumstances or
short-lived advantages, but to causes that
will abide. When natural gas fails, as
doubtless it will eventually throughout the
entire gas belt, factories which are now
using it will find in this city compensating
advantages that will induce them to re-
main in Indiana and help to make it, as
it is surely destined to be, the great manu-
featuring State of the Central West.