The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-02-17
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES
Of Montana Aside From Mininu
Machinery.

The annual report Of J. A. Fergu-
son, commissioner of agriculture, la
Dor and industry, contains an inter-
esting chapter on the manufactures
of Montana. According to the report,
there are more than 1000 manufac-
turing establishments in Montana,
representing an investment of $4O,-
945,S46.
Although classed in the govern
ment census as one of the so-callei
territorial states, Montana is to some
extent an exception to this rule,
which applies to manufacturing and
mechanical industries chiefly incl
dental to mining and the develop
ment of agricultural resources.
1T is not a manufacturing state in
the true significance of the term, and
practically all the Industries shown
are those which are intimately con-
nected with the building up of new
sections of country, such as lumber
and timber products, smelling and re-
filming of metals, flour and grist mills.
and the hand trades, and yet Mon
tana is, to some extent, an exception
to this rule, inasmuch as certain in
dustries have developed, such as the
manufacturing of coke and slaughter
ing. wholesale, which have not ap-
peared in previous bulletins on the
so-called territorial states. Neverthe-
less, the increase in the value of pro-
ducts when measured by the per-
centage method, is abnormal and the
use of this method in stating the
progress of new countries can be JUS
titled only on the ground of uniform
ity of treatment. The increase is
made more striking because the sta
tistics of smelling and refining are
now for the first time included as
manufactures.
in drafting the schedules of in
quiry for the census of 1900 care was
taken to preserve the basis of COM
parison with prior censuses. Com
parison may be made safely with re-
spect to all the items of inquiry, ex-
cept those relating to capital, salaried
officials, clerks, cts, and their sala-
ries, the average number of employees
and the total amount of wages. Live
capital, that is, cash on hand, bills
receivable, unsettled ledger accounts,
raw materials, stock in process of
manufacture finished products on
hand, and other sundries was first
called for at the census of 1890. No
definite attempt was made prior to
the census of 1890, to secure return
of live capital invested.
"The report shows a capital of $40,-
945,S46 invested in manufactures and
mechanical industries in the 1000
establishments reporting. This sum
represents the value of land build
ings, machinery, tools and imple-
ments, and the live capital utilized,
but does not include the capital stock
of any of the manufacturing corpora
tions. The value of the products is
returned at $57,O75,S24, to produce
which involved an outlay Of $S37.971
for salaries of officials, clerks, ETC.;
$7,S69,SS6 for wages, $1,66S,4S7 for
miscellaneous expenses, including
rent, taxes, etc, and $32,702,650 for
materials used. mill supplies, freight
and fuel 1t is not to be assumed,
however. that the difference between
the aggregate of these sums and the
value of the products is. in any sense
indicative of the profits in the manu-.
facture Of the products during the
census year The census schedule
takes no cognizance of the cost OF
selling manufactured articles, the
mercantile losses incurred in the
business, or of depreciation in plant
"The value Of product, $57,075,S24
is the gross value, and not the net OF
true value. The difference between
these two should be carefully noted
The gross value is found by addine
the values of the products in the sep
arate establishments. But the fin.
ished product Of one establishment
is often the raw material for another
In such cases the value Of the former
reappears in the latter and thus the
original cost Of certain materials MAY
be include d several times in thu
gross value. The net or true value