The Indianapolis journal., 1902-02-28
Secretary of the Treasury Tells of
the Enormous Commerce of
the Western States.
FIGURES THAT SEEM AMAZING
STATISTICS OF SOME OF THE PROD
UCTs OF LEADING INDUSTRIES.
Resolution in Favor of the Prompt
Creation of Department. OF
Commerce at Washington.

Treasury Shaw was the principal speaker
at the banquet of the National Business
League held tonight at the Auditorium.
His subject was Commerce and Industries
of the West" and his utterances were re-
ceived with much attention it being one
of the first public speeches made by him
since his appointment to his present Of
fee. The first set speech upon the pro-
gramme was by John w. Ella, of Chicago,
who spoke upon 1.-The League" He de-
scribed at length the objects which the
league sought to attain, declaring that
Its purpose is TO keep the business men
throughout the country informed as to
legislation affecting them and TO concen-
trate their influence in the promotion of
measures favoring business interests gen.
orally, as distinguished from special in
terests; and, far possible, to take
business questions out of politics. 1t also
seeks to so systematize the machinery Of
the national government as to put this
country on at least an equal footing with
other countries in the race to capture the
worlds trade"
Following Mr.. Ella came Secretary Shaw,
who spoke in part as follows:
THE West not only grows food prod
ucts, but her people have become no mean
competitors in their preparation. Mime
apolis alone manufactures 16,000,OO0 barrels
OF flour per annum, a carload 1000
pounds) every ten minutes, day and night,
S65 days In the year. branch factory in
a prairie town of Iowa of less than 1000
pOpulduon produces 6VO,W0 cans or con-
densed milk per annum, while the parent
plant in Wisconsin makes more than double
this amount; portion of which helps TO
feed the standing armies of Europe and
to supply the belligerents in South Africa.
The Eigin Butter Company consumes the
cream from 70,O00.000 pounds of milk, man
ufactures 100000 pounds of butter 500
tons), and exports its products to China.
Japan, Cuba, Mexico, South American
countries and to Alaska. A single unin-
corporated firm in southwest Iowa handled
last year quarter million pounds C20 tons)
of butter, and 100000 pounds (more than
one hundred carloads) of poultry. Another
firm in the same State marketed. in a
single year, 1,5O,OO0 dozen eggs, sending
them to the Atlantic. the gulf and the
Pacific coast, while a third firm ships
dressed poultry, not by carload only, but
by trainload.
PACKING-HOUSE PRODUCTS.
1.-The product of packing houses west OF
the Missouri river sells on the market for
an amount in excess of the postal receipts
of the United States, while single insti-
tuition engaged in the preparation of ami
NAL products, whose parent plant is in this
city, produced last year more than 10000
carloads, 800 tons per day, of manufactured
products in addition to its meats. The
packing houses represented in Chicago
yield a larger gross income than all the
custom houses and internal revenue col
lectors of the United States, while the live
animals sold on a square mile of ground
within the limits of this city is only Is
per cent less than the gross earnings of all
the railroads that enter Chicago. Either
of the two packers within the territory /
represent pays more for live animals to the
enrichment of the ranchman and the farm
er than is paid in dividends and officers
salaries by all the railroads in the United
States, operating 100, 600 miles, transporting
more than 500,O00,000 passengers and moving
a half billion tons of freight and capital
ized at five and a half billions.
"A few illustrations of what has been
done must suffice to show what can be
done, and hence what will be done, even
in the smaller cities and towns in this yet
undeveloped though wonderfully progress
i've West. A prairie town in this State,
with no coal, no iron, no water power, and
with no means Of communication save one
railroad. in fact with no advantages save
the business grasp and enterprise of few
and the skill and industry of many, pro-
duces boilers, iron and steel pipe, brass
and plated fittings, which find market in
nearly every State in the Union and are
exported to all countries and to the islands
of the sea. One firm, with headquarters i'll
Missouri, ships 5000 carloads of clay prod
States and Territories, and exports in large
quantities to the republic of Mexico. a
single factory in my own State, in a city
of less than 25,OOO, no coal, no iron, no
water power, but with much skill and more
energy, ships its products to England, to
Germany, TO France, Russia, Austria, At
rica Canada, Mexico, South American
countries, Cuba, Australia and New zea-
land, its boilers now running cotton mills
in the Carolnas cutting lumber in Ten
nesse Alabama and Mississippi, irrigating
MIA rot fnYae N / TnV4C Il
ing -four in Minnesota, Kansas, oklahoma
and the Dakotas manufacturing furniture
in Michigan and crushing ores in the val
leys of the mountains. a few miles away
stands another factory whose output OF
shoes finds a market in more than dozen
States and Territories and sells far more
than a million and half. Unincorporated
mills in the same State, and under single
management, annually consume half mil
lion pounds of wool, the product of which,
in the finest flannels and ladies' dress
goods. is shipped in carload lots TO the
commercial centers on both oceans.
"A single unincorporated mercantile estab-
lishment in this city, whose founder IS
still active in it's management, does an
annual business equaling the gross earn
ings of the New York Central Railroad,
with its more than 5000 miles, with a train
movement Of 35,00OOOO miles, carrying $1,000
passengers and moving 35,OO0,0O0 tons of
freight. Do you wonder, Mr.. Chairman,
that [ claim Chicago as a Western city,
when such gigantic things can be done
a single man?
''The territory represent imports,
through customs districts located within its
limits merchandise valued al $4,000 600 and
exports $120 100000 worth. But who shall
say how much is consumed within these
limits or what is received at other ports,
or how much IL contributes to swell the
enormous aggregate that goes hence from
the Atlantic seaboard?
WESTERN BANKS.
1.-The banks within the same territory
hold a billion and a half deposits, and their
clearings exceed $4,000 100000 In 1892, for
the first time in our history. individual de-
posits in the national banks within the
grain-growing States exceeded the value
of wheat and corn sold from the farm.
Now individual deposits in the same class
of banks exceed by 100 per cent. the value
OF these cereals disposed of by the pro-
ducers thereof Manifestly the banks Of
the Eastern metropolis hold more Western
money than they have on deposit in West
ern banks, but Ii is equally true that the
East has contributed generally TO Western
Industries and enterprises. Another evil
dence Mr.. Chairman, that our country Is
too small, our people too few. and have
too much in common 10 permit even irnag-
mary lines to divide our commercial and
Industrial interests.
Harry A. Garfield, OF Ohio. was warmly
greeted when he rose To speak on "Reor-
ganszation of the United States Consular
Service" The next speaker was NJ Henri
Merau. French consul in Chicago, who
dwelt briefly upon Reciprocity with
leo, spoke upon Reclamation of the Arid
Regions of the West" The last rae,,la ;