Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-05-14


Washington, D. C.-The, above table
presents in concrete form the essen
tial results of the twelfth census
relative to manufactures, and gives a
general view of the progress of our
industries. The work of compiling the
manufacturing statistics has but just
reached the stage where the presenta-
ton of accurate facts as contained in
this table are possible, and while there
have of course been some changes since
the date of taking the census yet it
is safe to base the manufacturing fig
ures of the country on these, to which
might be added probably an increase
of ten per cent.
Beginning with the census of 1850
the government has included in the
statistics gathered figures relating to
the manufacturing industries. The
tabA given above does not include
these figures further back than 1870,
but for purposes of comparison we
give a few of them here that the
growth of the full half century may
be noted. Going back from 1870 to
1860 we find in the latter year but 14O,-
433 manufacturing institutions in the
country, and in 1850 there were but
123,025. In 1860 the total capital in
vested in manufacturing establish
ments amounted to $1,000, S55,715; the
total value of wages paid, $37S, S74 ,966;
the total value of raw material con-
sumed, $1,O31, COS, O92, and the total
manufactured product amounting to
value of 81, 1856, SCI, 676. Going back an
other ten years to 1850 we find the
total capital invested at that time was
but $685. ,351; the total wages paid
1896, 755, 464; the raw materials con-
sumed, 1855, 1922, and the value of
the manufactured product, $1,O19, 1885,,
GIG.
Heavy Increases.
Mr.. S. N. d. North, the chief stats
tician for manufactures, in comment
ing on the remarkable advance in our
manufacturing interests. said:
1T will be observed that, in COMPARE
son with the figures of the census of
1850, there has been an increase in
capital invested apprOximating nine
teenfold; in the average number of
wage-earners about five and one-half
fold; in the amount of wages paid
about tenfold, and in value of prod
ucts about thirteenfold. This is an
unusually remarkable showing when
we consider that the population Of
the Country has increased in the mean
time but about two and one-quarter-
fold. While these comparisons must
be made with many reservations, they
nevertheless afford, in all the items
except that of capital invested, an ap-
proXimate exhibit of.the enormous in
crease in manufactures which oc-
Cured in the United States in the last
half of the nineteenth century. They
are particularly suggestive as an in
dication of the increasing productive
capacity of labor, due chiefly to the
increased effectiveness of machinery
and the largely increased Investment
Of capital. The apparent value of
products per wage-earner has in
creased from ST, 065 in 1850 to So ,451 in
1907.
The table given at the head of this
article does not include the small
establishments with an annual value
of products of less than $500 Of these
there are total of 127,419, with an
invested capital of $44,3SS,0 65, employ
ing 55,12s, to whom is paid So, 122, 126
in wages annually, and turning out an
annual product valued at 500, 724,64
The Large Industries.
Public interest naturally centers in
the large industries, and what each
contributes to the grand total of our
manufactured products together with
the number of wage-earners to whom
they give employment and the amount
of wages paid them. The following
summary gives much of this informa
ton in condensed form with the in
dustries arranged in alphabetical or
der:
Agricultural Observation-Disclosures of es
Establishments. rs; capital invested. 1857,
ISL; wage earners employed, 1852
wages paid. $22. 450. $50; cost of raw mate
rails. $43.s44.62S; value of annual product
SOL. a07, 42S.
Boots and establishments 1.6OO
capt. al. $10l. 1885, 2S3; employees. 142 922: wages
$50 175, $50; cost of materials $169, 604 054; an
nual product, s26l ,O2S. $50.
Carriages and wagons-Establishme
1852: capital 1lS.1S7, SIS; employees, 62,5+O
wages, $29. S14.911; cost of materials, $56,676,
O7s: annual product $1Z1. So. 276.
Cars and general railroad shop construc
Observation-Disclosures, 1896; capital, $ll9,