Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-05-08
JOUR- LAND AMAZED HIM.
COLDB:RCER'S OBSERVATIONS ON
AMERICAN ECONOMIC LIFE.

"The Land of Unbounded Possibil-
tiles" is the title of a series of articles
on conditions in the United States,
prepared by the Hon. IMdwig Max
Goldberger of Berlin, royal priyy
councillor of commerce and member of
the Imperial German consultative
board for commercial measures. 1t is
republished by the treasury bureau of
statistics in it's Monthly Summary of
Commerce and Finance.
These statements are the result OF
an eight months official tour of the
United States by Mr.. Goldberger, in
which he made personal observations
| and Investigations into industrial, COM
mercial and economic conditions. His
detailed reports upon these subjects
were made direct to the emperor and
the minister of commerce and have not
yet been officially published. Mean
time, however, he has published in a
leading weekly journal of Berlin, Die
Woche, a series of signed articles I'M
der the title, "The Land of Unbounded
Possibilities; Observations on the
Economic Life of the United States"
from which the following are extracts:
The United States, like an enchant-
ed garden, has brought forth from a
marvellously productive soil splendid
! results of human ingenuity. Yet the
thing that causes most wonder is that
the concentrated intelligensce, which,
intending to replace human factors by
machinery, has, in working toward its
aim, been giving to constantly growing
numbers of workmen an opportunity to
support themselves and become pro-
ductive factors. The Joy at the size of
their own land encourages each indi-
vidual. 1t makes him communicative
and friendly to foreigners who are
seeking information. 1t seems as
though every one were filed with the
idea: "The stranger shall see how
great and strong America is" My
eight months trip of observation and
study took me through the states, and
everywhere found open doors, invit-
ing me to enter, and nowhere did
find the slightest attempt at secretive-
ness. Everywhere l observed an un-
common, but steady hustle of men who
enjoy their work and are consciously
working for great results. st is a
great country" This is the verbatim
designation Of reverential admiration
which the citizen Of the United States
has found for his country.
The inhabitants of the United
States, including Porto Rico, Hawaii
and the Philippine Islands, number
about $4,000, 0,000-that is, barely 5
percent of the worlds total inhabi-
tants, according to its highest esti-
mate. This percent has at present
taken possession of 25 percent of all
| the cultivated area of the earth viz:
407, 100000 acres out of 1928, 100000
acres. A land of marvellous fertility
offered itself for tillage, and the hus-
bandman had but to gather in the
produce. The virgin soil made his
work easier, and its extensiveness rem
dered the application of artificial fer
| tilizers practically unnecessary, al
| though the agricultural offices of the
States and the Union have constantly,
by excellent advice and practical ex-
pert assistance, been furnishing the
ways and means toward more intense
cultivation.
Let us examine the corn crops for
the six years, 1895-1900 The worlds
total product fluctuated between 2.6
| and billion bushels per annum,
total of 1876 billions for the period,
with an annual average of 2.77 billions.
OF this amount the United States
alone produced 12.4 billions, an aver
age of 2.07 billion bushels per annum,
or rs percent Of the worlds crop.
Toward the worlds wheat crop the
United States contributed in the five
years, 1896-1900 2O.7 percent, while
for the year 1901 it's contribution to
the worlds production of wheat
amounted to 25 percent. During the
| years 1S96-1900 there were grown 14.7
billion bushels of cats in the world,
and of this 3.74 billion bushels, or "a. 5
percent, were produced by the United
States.
In the production of iron ore the
United States proved itself to be a
veritable land of unbounded possibil-
tiles. 1t produced very nearly 80 per-
cent of the total iron produced, and
that of the very best quality. In the
past year the United States produced
1913 percent Of the worlds product of
pig iron. In 1900 it produced, rough
ly 10.1 million tons of steel. Or AZ
percent of the worlds product, and
in the year 1901 the United States
output was increased to 1876 million
tons.
The United States produces nearly
55 percent of all the worlds copper.
The development of the American cop
per industry was perhaps more rapid
than typical for even American
changes. From modest beginnings this
industry grew by leaps and bounds in
remarkably short time to the most
important factor in the worlds produc-
ton. In 1870 the copper production
Of the United States amounted to H.
mn +op,. ~, 1Qon i+,