The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-04-18
Especial Statistical Letter.)


special agents during the year 1900
that is both valuable and interesting.
The department of manufactures has
but recently completed the compila-
ton of the manufacturing statistics
OF Minnesota, and a study of the fig
nres is sufficient to arouse state pride,
so great has the manufacturing indus
tries of the state grown within the
ten years between 1890 and 1900.
That Minnesota is classed as dis
tinctively an agricultural state, should
have lila manufacturing establish
ments within its boundaries, seems al
most improbable. Yet these figures,
large as they are, represent the exact
number of establishments at the time
of taking the twelfth census. In these
establishments there was at that time
Invested the enormous total of $685.
s32,246, and they gave employment to
1924 wage earners in addition to
1919 officials and clerks.
1t is interesting to study the tables
showing the number and class of the
wage earners in Minnesota factories,
and their earning capacity. TO the
total number of 1924 there was paid
in wages annually the sum of $35, 4S4,-
S25. Of the total number of employees
66,SS9 were men of 16 years of age
or over, and to these was paid the sum
of $32 ,9G5,947; of women 16 years of
age and over there were employed 1858,
and to these was paid the sum of $2,-
451, 400, and of children under 16 years
of age there were employed but 792,
whose annual earning capacity was
$127,47S. These figures dispute the
statement, if it has ever been made,
that Minnesota women are not "home
makers" and that Minnesota's chill
,dren are not school children. There
are but few other states in the union
where a smaller percentage of chill
dren are to be found employed in fac
tories.
Four and four tenths per cent. of
the total population of Minnesota are
engaged in manufacturing pursuits,
but this percentage of population are
annually turning out manufactured
products to the value Of 1852, 655, 1871.
In the percentage of employees to the
total population of the state the cen
sus figures of 1900 show a decrease
from 1890, when the 69,790 operatives
employed in factories represented ga
of the total population. But while the
growth in the number of factory en-
ployes has not kept pace with the
growth of the population, the value of
factory products has done so, as is
shown by the fact that in 1900 the
value of these products reached total
of $262, 655, SS1, against 1892, O33,47S in
1890. This shows gain in production
of 36.S per cent. against gain in
population of 1873 per cent.
While the jump from 1905 manufac-
turing establishments in the state in
1890 to II, ia in 1900 shows a gain in
number of establishments of 4S.1 per
cent, the gain in capital invested was
but from 1927, 6S6,61S in 1890 to $685.
49,, 246 in 1900, or 800 per cent. These
figures show that the value of the
states manufactured products has in
creased much more rapidly than either
the amount of capital invested, the
number of operatives employed or the
wages paid.
Minnesota can point with pride to the
fact that she ranks first in the flour
producing states in the union. with no
other state sufficiently near her at
the present time to become COM
petitor in the near future for the honor
of leadership in this important indus
try. There were 512 flour and grist
mills in the state in 1900, and these
gave employment to 4,0S6 wage earn
ers, and produced a product valued at
$50, S77, 700. This industry alone gave
employment to So per cent. of the total
number of wage earners, and the value
of the product represented 31.9 per
cent. of the total value of factory
products. In 1890 there were but 307
establishments of this kind in the
state, employing $500 wage earners,
and turning out a product valued at
$50, 15S,0SS, this showing an increase
of $23,719,621, or 1914 per cent. in the
value of the product.
In 1900 Minnesota had II per cent
ufacture of Touring and grist mill
products, while in 1890 her percentage
was but "a. In the latter year both
New York and Pennsylvania proceeded
her in point of capital invested. But in
1900 we find the value of the Touring
and grist mill products of Minnesota
has risen to Is per cent. of the total
value of these products in the United
States, while in 1890 it was but III
per cent. In 1900 no other state APP
preached Minnesota's total, New York,
the second in rank, having value ag
gregating but little more than one
half that of Minnesota.
This increase in the value of Mime
sofas Touring and grist mills has come
not entirely from an increased produc-
ton, but also from an increase in COM
parative value by reason of improved
methods of milling. The introduction
of improved machinery has made Min
nesota flour known all over the world
and it now finds ready market at top
prices wherever offered for SALE
While Minnesota leads all other
states in the value of Touring and