The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-05
nv FREpEn1c ]. HAsll1N.
The United States to-day

BY FREDERIC j. IIAsl<1N.
The United States to-day Is the
wealthiest country on earth. II the
American people arc one-fifth as indus
.trious and thrifty in the coming ninety
years as they have been ii, tho past
nine decades, they Will have gathered
in this country as much wealth as IS
natural resources Of the United States,
its farms and forests and it's mines,
have BY no means reached the acme
%. their development. All wealth must
ated by the farmers plow, tho miners
pick and the artisans constructive
Skill Once brought into existence, that
wealth may be multiplied. as Aineri-
cans have multiplied II. by the applica-
ton of business and scientific in
genuity
A Washington economist has shown
that the entire wealth OF the ancient,
republic OF Athens was not enough 10
buy the New Willard Hotel at It's pres
.ent valuation on the Washington real
estate market. Not even the swollen
fortunes" OF our Rockcfellers and Car
negies can be taken az measure OF
the wealth OF the American people. 1t
farmer earns enough In seventeen
days to wipe out Standard Oil, in seven
weeks he makes enough. TO buy out
the steel trust The farmers who work
daily income of s24.000.0 900.
The United States has suffered many
great msfortunes. The Civil War was
more costly in blood and treasure than
the decade between 1850 and 1870 the
wealth OF the country was increased
by 81 per cent. Since that time there
nave been great pan!cs and commercial
concessions Yet the growth has con-
tinued steadily without a break. and If
the ratio OF increase OF wealth that has
obtained since 1860 be maintained until
the year 1000. the American people
VIII possess wealth ten times greater
than the whole world can now claim.
The pessimist. who may interpose
The objection that the increasing pop
ulation VIII prevent the indicated ac-
ed by the testimony of history It has
been proven in every nation of Christ
endom that wealth increases In pro-
portion to the density OF population
up to the point where the number of
inhabitants for each square mile is
twice as great as necessary to give the
United States 3S5000.O00 people-the
number predicted by the statisticians
for the census of the year 1000 There
Is no room Tor the pessimist In this
country Some Western cities Will not
let 'knocker" live among them, and
they are typically American. That the
acknowledged hunt OF the growing
pains caused by the present depression
is reason for doubling continuation
OF growth rs secuted by the figures
which show that the Civil War, the
panic of 1879 the panic Of
1898 and all other disasters
have been powerless to stop the on
ward movement.
| The creators Of this great wealth
have not begun to realize their fun
opportunity. Many OF them have more
land than they can till. Only n com.
parattvely few of them have applied
the science of modern agriculture to
II n ffa ia ,vt,x. &c
adopt the methods now in use by The
educated fow, this daily income will
be swelled to sloo,ooo.ooo a year,
and that without adding an acre to the
ground now In cultivation.
The American balance sheet now
! shows wealth of 100000 100000. a
little more than $3.50 per capita. The
rule that wealth increases with den
,sity q population is s. strikingly Illus
dom Of Great Britain and Ireland is
the only country that excels us IN per
capita wealth. the figure being
| Sl4o5. It's population is $50 TO the
square mile, or more than twice what
America will have when it reaches the
3S5,000,00O mark. Franco has.190 to
| the square mile. as against the pre-
diction of 12S in. the United States in
1000 ao and its per capita wealth Is
the several States in the Union. New
York's per capita Is $1,S57. or more
than $500 more than the general aver
age for the country. In the thinly po-
/ pulated Western States. whose natural
| resources are much greater than New
York's, the wealth per capita is in some
instances only one-iifth as great.
I AS the population of the country In
creases toward the mark set for ninety
years hence, the utilization of re-
sources Ind the additional demand
1 created for products OF field and mine
Twill be such that the increase In
Wealth cannot fail to keep pace. And
Keeping pace with the enormous
/ growth OF population means only one
twentieth as rapid creation OF =, wea ! 9
as shown by the record since 1900
.tsince Mckinley was elected the Sc
/ Gond time, since what seems only yes
1! terdny.
The farmer and the miner could not
lhave done what they have in this coun'
TRY IL 1t had not been for the appll'
cation OF business genius TO- thelr pro,
ducts. Without the railroads the Goa
mines of the interior would be use
lless. Without swift express trains the
3 ricll fruit and vegetable gardens OF
4 the South could not sell their products
A Without the lice-machine Nhe great
meat Industry could not live ana thf
s cat lie grower could not Market ms
lizards. without the. organization e. .pl
great buying and selling concerns tne
4 markets of the modern age could no.
4 exist over night.
4 In the. ninety years q CONS tilert
4. ~ doubt hut that the abuses OF per,
sara, and coual rights on the part O
the great business organizations Wll