, 1903-02-20
NEW DEPARTMENT
WILL HAVE UNIQUE DISTINCTION
OF CONTROLLING VAST CON-
MERCIAl INTERESTS
Figures Compiled by Treasury De-
partment Bureau OF Statistics,
Which Becomes Part of Depart
ment Of Commerce Give Some AS
founding Results.

Washington ID. c.. Feb. 2O.-The new
department of commerce will have the
largest commercial interest OF the
world. In domestic exports, in manu-,
features, in transportation, and in in,
ternal commerce the United States is
at the head of the worlds list of great
nations. Some figures just compiled
by the Treasury Bureau of Statistics,
which by the new law becomes a part
Of the department of commerce. esti-
mate the internal OF the
country at 500, 900. 900, 900, o equal to
the entire international of
the world.
In ARRIVING at this estimate of 500, 000,-
900, 900 for the internal m of
the United States, the Bureau OF Sta
tistics includes only one translation in
each article produced. while, in fact. a
very large number OF the articles pro
duced pass through the hands of sew
eral 'middlemen" between those of the
producer and those of the consumer
The estimate is based upon the figures
of the census, which put the total va
lue of manufactures in 1900 at $13 .000,-
600, 900; those of the agriculture. at
nearly 81, 900, 900, 900, and those of min
erals about 81, 900, 900 900. Adding %
these the product of the fisheries. the
total value of the products of the great
industries in 1900 would be SIS, 900 ,000,-
000, and the rapid growth in all lines
of industry in 1900. especially in manu-
featuring, seems to justify the conclu-
sion that even a single transaction in
all the products of the country would
produce an aggregate for 1902 of fully
$780, 900, 600, 900.
Estimating the internal commerce of
the country in former census years by
the same method. the Bureau of Stats
tics finds that the total internal COM
merceh has grown form about 81, 900. OOO,-
900 in 1850 to SO, 500, 600, 900 in 1860, So
$50. 600, 900 in 1908 $50, 900 ,OOOin 1880
and $12, 900, 600. 900 in 1890. 1t will be
seen from this that the internal COM
merce seems to have increased so per
cent in the de"eda from 1890 to 1900,
and is ten times as large in 1902 as in
the year 1850.
During the same period, from 1850 to
1902, the population has increased
from $4,000, 900 to 10000, 900
and is therefore only three and n
half times as great as in 1850, while
the internal commerce is ten times as
great as at that time. This relative
gain of internal commerce over popu-
lation is due, in part, to the greatly in
creased facilities for transportation,
the cheapening of cost of articles util-
lied. and the increased earnings and
increased wealth of the people.
The railroads have increased from
9,021 miles in 1850 to POI ,S39 miles in
1902. and the estimated wealth Of the
country from 7,135, 7S0, 900 in 1850 to
1914, 300, 900, OOOin 1S9O-a per capita in
Of from $3O8 in 1850 to 81 1856 in
1900, This increase in wealth has been
accompanied by an increase in depos-
its in banks. those in savings banks
alone increasing from $43,431,1 100 in
1850 to 1897, O94 $50 in 1901.
Meantime the foreign commerce has
made rapid increase, though not al a
rate of speed proportionate to that Of
1850 were $173 500, 526; those of 1902,
5000, 800, 943. The exports in 1850 were
$144, 375,726; in 1902, 81, 1881, 719,4O1.
While it is not practicable to mea
sure the internal commerce of other
countries with the same accurancy as
that Of the United States, it is known
that in agricultural products, manu-
features and minerals, the United
States now outranks the other nations
of the world and that the transactions
in these products. which form the in
ternal commerce may therefore be as
sumed to surpass those of any other
country. The manufactures of the
United States are now about double
those of the United Kingdom, and near
" equal to those of France, Germany
and Russia combined, while the value
of the agricultural products of the
United States far exceeds that of any
other single country.