Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1903-04-02
WITHIN FIFTY YEARS
PHENOMENAL PROGRESS MADE BN
THE UNITED STATES. @ias


In Domestic Exports, In Manufac-
lures, In Transportation and In
Internal Commerce.
In recent report the statistician of
the department of commerce presents
some interesting facts relative to the
miraculous progress which has taken
place in the United States alike in in.
ternal and external commerce In the
past forty-two years of protection to
American labor and industry. Giant
strides have been made during that
period under the economic policy of
having the republic do its own work
to the largest possible extent. In do
nestle exports, in manufactures, in
transportation and in internal COM
merce the United States is at the head
of the worlds list Of great nations.
The internal commerce of the country
is now estimated at $4,000, 100000, or
equal to the entire international COM
merce of the world. This estimate is
based upon the figures Of the census,
which put the total value of manufac-
lures in 1900 at $13,000,000,0 those
of agriculture at nearly $4,000, 600, ,000
and those Of minerals about 81, ,0O0, ,000,-
900. Adding to these the product of
the fisheries, the total value of the
products of the great industries in 1900
would be $4,000, 100000, and the rapid
growth in all lines of industry since
1900, especially in manufacturing
seems to justify the conclusion that
even single transaction in all the
products of the country would produce
an aggregate for 1902 of fully $2O,OO0,-
100000.
Estimating the internal commerce OF
the country at former census years by
the same method, it is found that the
total internal commerce has grown
from about $2,OOO,OOO 900 in 1850, 3d.
500,O000OO in 1860, $6,250, 100000 in
1870, $7,75O,OO0,OOO in 1880 and $12,-
O00,OO0,OOO in 1890. 1t will be seen
from this that the internal commerce
seems to have increased 90 per cent In
the decade from 1890 to 1900 and is
ten times as large in 1902 as in the
year 1850.
During the same period, from 1856
to 1902, the population has increased
from 23,0OO,O00 to 100000 and is
therefore only three and one-half times
as great as in 1850, while the interna
commerce is ten times as great as al
that time. The relative gain of inter
nal commerce over population is due
In part, to the greatly increased fa
cilities for transporta ton, the cheapen
ing Of cost of articles utilized and the
increased earnings and increased
wealth of the people-in short, due il
great measure to the operation of the
policy Of protection.
The railroads have increased from
9,021 miles in 1850 to POI $50 miles ir
1902 and the estimated wealth of the
country from $7,135, 10000 In 1850 te
$94, 300, 100000 in 1900 per capita In
crease of from $30S in 1850 to 81 1,23t
in 1900. This increase In wealth has
been accompanied by an increase ii
deposits in banks, those in savings
banks alone increasing from $43, ,431,
130 in 1850 to $2,597 ,O94, $50 in 1901
another extraordinary tribute to the
value Of protection as a national eco
nomic system.
Meantime the foreign commerce has
made rapid increase, though not at 9
rate Of speed proportionate to that Of
internal commerce. The imports OF
1850 were $173,509, ,526; those of 1907
$903,320,948. The exports in 1850 were
SID, 1876 ,726; in 1902 $1,381, ,719, ,4O1
While 1t is not practicable to measure
the internal commerce Of other coun
tries with the same accuracy as that
of the United States, it Is known thai
in agricultural products, manufactures
and minerals the United States now
outranks the other nations Of the world
and that the transactions in these
products, which form the internal com
merce, may therefore be assumed tc
surpass those of any other country
The manufactures Of the United States
are now about double those of the
United Kingdom and nearly equal te
those Of France, Germany and Russia
combined, while the value Of the agri
cultural products of the United States
far exceeds that of any other single
country.
No other country has the exhaustless
wealth Of natural resources; no other
country has a population equal in en-
ergy, enterprise and capability; no
other country has for the same length
of time had so high wage scale or SC
high standard of living; no other
country has had protection for forty.
two years practically uninterrupted.