Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-01
OUR GREAT WEALTH
United States Leads All Ma
lions in Gold Production.
TREASURY IS FULL
TREASURER ELLIS h. ROBERTS
DRAWS CONCLUSIONS.
American Association for the Advance
ment of Science Studies
Finance.

Treasurer Ellis II. Roberts made state
nsnts regarding the great wealth in gold
OF the United States before the American
Association for the Advancement Of Science
convention which were most interesting
and gratifying.
Mr.. Roberts pictured the United States
as the richest nation In gold and not at the
pinnacle of his wealth. He said that one Of
the striking phenomena OF the present
economic situation In our own and other
countries Is the large advance in the sup
ply OF gold. The worlds production in 1901
was SOS. 374, 100. The United States stood
first with $7S.6667 100, or about 80 per cent
OF the whole In 1899. the product Of all
countries was $3O65S4.9O0. of which our
share was 81. O53, 400 or % per cent Of all.
Fair estimates for 1902 are $500, 900, 900 for
the world, with SSO.OOOOOO for the United
States. Experts who claim to be familiar
with the Rand mines, predict total for
next year Of $500. 100000, while our share
can hardly be less than SSO.00O,OOO, and
may reach SlOOOOOOOO or more.
Stock of Gold Grows.
The stock of gold in the United States
December 1. 1902. was 81 go. 6I2, 173. show
ing an increase since the close Of June of
e3S. 07s. 1S3. or a monthly average Of $685.
OOO SiHCe beCeUlDST l., lVOl, 10 the ike
date this year the gain was $40 800 100 If
we compare 1S9S with 1902. at the 1st of
January we find an annual average gain Of
&1O7 7s3.e39.
his stock and this increase are beyond
comparison with any records elsewhere
Only five countries other than our own
have In their stock Of money 80 much as
$500 900 in gold. By comparison Of their
holdings January 1. 1895 and 1903. notable
facts will appear. The annual average Of
gain In that period by the united kingdom
WIS so. 500. co., by France. $3S375, 600; by
C .-many. $23.575. 900; by Austria Hungary,
1000, while Russia lost In the interval
yearly average Of $l05000OO. Thus the
n.srags annual gain of the United States
IN the same period in gold Is $26. sos 500
more than that Of all these countries COM
-binsd More than that. Let us take all the
countries of Europe, great and small, and
We shall find their net average annual in
Crease for these four years, $95 425 600
which - S12 35S. $50 less than that of the
lin. states.
Per Capita Supply.
let Us measure the gold of other countries
b. the number Of heads, and we shall meet
@.th q contrast almost startling. The stock
Of our country was at the beginning of this
pear. tl49s per capita. That Of France,
-1hs exception. Ii stated at s23.l7. The gold
producers. Australasia at S2338: Cape Col
>ny At 5000 and the South African Repub-
Ho at $20.54. are abnormal among nations
The United Kingdom has $3.50 and Ger
many 313.52 Norway has S7.S8 and the
Netherlands $7.55. No other country has SC
much per capita and Canada at 1854 Is far
from the bottom Of the list.
More Instructive than the study Of the
stock OF gold in various countries, Is the In
vestigation of the holdings Of the yellow
metal by governments and their official
banks. The United States has today Ode
cember 81. 1909 In its own vaults 1915. $50.
2iS. The highest record In its history. Al
the latest reports. the national banks were
owners. including the coin In the ciearina
house vaults. Of 1885, fS8. 296. while ali Other