Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-04-23
Especial Statistical Letter.)

ton gathered by the enumerators and
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 q study Of the fig
urcs 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
1nents within it's 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 $780,
S32.246, and they gave employment to
1924 wage earners in addition to
T.319 officials and clerks.
It 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,-
s:2'5. OF the total number of employees
66,Sso were men Of 16 years of age
"r over, and to these was paid the sum
OF $32.905,947: of women 16 years of
age and over there were employed 1855,
and to these was paid the sum of So
431 400 and Of children under 16 years
OF age there were employed but 1872,
whose annual earning capacity was
S127.47S. 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 {; 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 ont manufactured
products to the value of $2G2, G55, sS1. .
In the percentage Of employees to the
total population of the state the CEN
sus figures Of 1900 show decrease
from 1890, when the 69,790 operatives
employed in factories represented 81
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 a total
of $685., 655,sSl, against $19o033,47s in
1890. This shows a gain in production
of 3G.S per cent. against Il gain in
population of 1873 per cent.
While the jump from 1906 manufac-
turing establishments in the state in
1890 to 11.11l in 1900 shows a gain in
number of establishments of 4S.1 per
cent, the gain in capital invested was
hut from $127 >6S6.61S in 1890 to $685.
s3c,2+6 III 1900, or 900 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 thu
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 We're 512 flour and grist
mills in the state in 1900, and these
gave employment to 4,0s6 wage earn
crs, and produced 4 product valued at
SS3,s77,7 700. This industry alone gave
employment to 5.3 per cent. Of the total
number of wage eurners, and the value
of the product represented 31.9 per
cent. of the total value Of factory
products. In 1890 there were but 3O7
establishments of this kind in the
state, employing $500 wage earners,
and turning out a product valued at
$50, 15S.OSS, this showing an increase
of $23,719,621, or 1874 per cent. in the
value of the product.
In 1900 Minnesota had II per cent.
of the total capital invested in the man
ufacture of Touring and grist mill
products, while in 1890 her percentage
was but 9.4. In the latter year both
New York and Pennsylvania preceded
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 ap-
preached Minnesota's total, New York,
the second in rank, having a value ag-
gregating but a little more than one
half that of Minnesota.
This increase in the value of Mime
sota's 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
ncsota 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
gIist mill products, she also completes
with a number of them for first place
in the lumber interests of the country.
Told briefly the record of this industry
in the state is 43s establishments, 1910
wage earners, and products valued at
$43,5s5,161. Compare, these figures
with those for 1890 and we find a
growth that is truly remarkable when
we consider the fact that the source