The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-09-02
MANUFACTURE OF
PAPER AND WOOD PULP

WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. al
Bulletin 80, which has just been is
sued by the census bureau and was
prepared under the supervision OF
Mr.. William NJ. Steuart, chief sta.
tistician for manufactures, presents
statistics relating to the manufacture
of paper and wood pulp. At the cen
sus of manufactures taken in 1906
the reported value of the products
of this industry was $1SS,715,1S
The industry gave employment to
65,964 wage-earners, and the capital
invested in it was reported as $277.-
444,471. At the census of 1900 the
value of products was $121,326,1 SO :;
the number of weage-earners, 49,
GAG; and the investment of capital,
$167,507,713. Going back ten years
further, we find that these items, as
reported at the census of 1890, were
as follows: Value of products, $7S,-
937,1S4; number, of wage-earners
81, $780, capital, $S9,S29,54S.
Growth of The Industry.
This comparison shows that the
years between 1900 and 1905 sur
ten years. Thus the value of pro-
ducts, which increased by $4S,3SS,97S
between 1890 and 1900, increased by
$61,3S9,027 between 1900 and 1905 !;
the capital employed, which increased
by $77,67S,175 in the ten-year peri
cd preceding 1900, increased by
$109,936,75S in the next five years.
The increase in the number of wage
earners was, however, not quite as
great in the later and shorter period
as in the earlier and longer, being
1913 between 1900 and 1905 as
compared with an increase of 49,
500 between 1890 and 1900.
When the increases are computed
on percentage basis the results are
as follows: The increase in value
of products was 61.3 per cent for
the period 1890 to 1900 and 1872 per
cent for the period 1900 to 1906; the
increase in the number of wage-earn-
ers was 500 per cent for the earlier
period and 1928 per cent for the lat
err; and the increase in capital was
S6.5 per cent and 65.6 per cent. re-
spectively. Taking into considera-
tion the fact that the latter period
was only one-half as long as the ear
lier, these percentages Indicate a
greatly increased rate of growth in
the five years following 1900 as COM
pared with the preceding ten years.
Probably, however, the actual mere
ments given in the previous para
graph are more significant as a meas
ure of growth than the percentages.
The figures presented in this bulletin
go back to the census of 1850, when
the product of this industry was only
$1O,1S7,777; the number of wage
earners, 1896; and the capital in
vested, $7,260,S64.
The number of establishments re-
ported for the industry was slightly
smaller in 1905 than it was in 1900,
being 761 in the later year and 763
in the other year. 1t is evident, there
fore, that the growth of the industry
represents production on larger
scale, or concentration in large plants
This movement is more clearly
shown by the average production per
establishment. In 1850 it was only
$22,996; in 1890 it was 1921 ,269;
in 1900, $166,S76; and in 1905,
$247,9S3, or nearly one-quarter of a
million. The average investment of
capital per establishment for the
same period increased from 81 $3.50
in 1850 to $13S,412 in 1890, $219.-
53S in 1900, and $364,579 :; 1905.