The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-08
wealth OF NATION.
GROWING STEADILY
Strong Array OF Facts to Show
That Check in Prosperity
is Only Temporary.
RESOURCES YET UNTOUCHED
Vast Production in Agriculture
and Mining Capable OF
Tremendous Increase.
,ss,,,, ~. ! ,r,,os.pispatch. /

tsne eiaT to The Times Dispatch.l
BALTIMORE Md. March Tn eH-
position of the basis for a revival o,
prosperity. the Manufacturers Recoro
In this weeks issue says:
..This country. with an area of a,o2e.-
co0 square miles or about one-seVen-
teenth OF the total 50,656,000 square
miles of the worlds area. has popu-
lation of S6.00O,0Oo, or about one-twen-
tfcth of the total 1.G6o, 100000 popnla-
ton of the globe Yet the people OF
the United States are raising annual'!
43 per cent, of the worlds total pro-
duction of wheat corn and oats--63i.-
os7.ooo bushels. or eo.I per cent. of
the 3.0sa, 00e. goo bushels of wheat;
1.5ea. 600 bushels, or 7s.S per cent.
of the SaS5 100000 bushels of corn;
sos. 0oo.0 600 pounds, or 31.t per cent. OF
the total s.eio,0oo.g0o pounds of to-
bacco, and is.si6.ooo bales of 500
pounds each. or IT'S per cent. of the
total Is,5Ts.ooo bales OF cotton raised
in the world.
In Coal and Metals.
These figures, including IL few esti-
mates for 1897. are the latest avail
sble. and what they reveal as TO agri-
culture is carried out in other zines
OF productive activity. This country
sxs produced yearly e5,1So.o0e tons, or
~ per cent. OF the worlds total OF
si.eaa, Gao tons OF piS-iron: 455,e00.00
tons or s-5 per cent of the total
LET, eea, 800 tons OF coal; 16s.oo0,ooo
barrels. or SIS per cent. of the totai
esa.ss5.eea barrels OF petroleum; SIS
sae. geo pounds. ar So per cent of the
total 1857 ,see.ee0 pounds of copper;
t.sTs. caa tons. or S4.4 per cent. of The
total s.s2..9ee tons of phosphate rock:
-ss-S5s tons, or SIS per cent. of the
total s5.,st4 tons OF sulphur; ssT.sIs.-
tan. OF s5-5 per cent. OF the total
sEssSs .s6e OF silver. and sSs.seo.e0e. or
I'll rsr cent of the TOTAL s.o4 COO. goo
Of gold W. are operating as.o60, 600
cotton SPinsiles. or 81 per cent OF the
total 1e..Sso.Qoa spiadles. and we have
airsady built e45-ooe miles. or SIS per
cent. of tha sIo.0ta miles OF railroads
on the globe
Something OF our rate OF progress
Is suggested by comparing the produce
tion of the United States and OF the
world in 1900 with to-dayts exhibit.
At the turn of this century we were
producing 13.Ioe.0a0 tons, or 81 per
cent. of The worlds 100000 tons of
pig-iron; 63.363,00o barrels. or 4a.a per
cent of the 14S,ll5, 0oo barrels of petro-
leun. a10.5Ss tons. or 55.5 par cent.
of the worlds 4s72os tons of copper:
a1o.ooo.0oo tons. for 31.s per cent of
the total s46,0o0,000 tons of coal. and
3ies tons. or u of 1 per cent OF the
total 5f7,s2o tons of sulphur. In seven
years we have built more than 90 900
miles of railroad, the increase in the
seven years being equal TO the tota,
mileage of all the railroads in the
United States in 1860.
Ample Room for Growth.
''There is no reason in nature VIII,
this rate of progress should not b,
maintained. there arc many reaons
indeed. why it should be accelerated.
TO begin with our capacity for OK.
pansion OF population has hardly beer
tested. Holland. one of the most pros.
porous countries of the world, which
has an area of only 1880 square mile.
about l-2a0th of the area of the
n United States-supports about 450, per
sons to the square mile, while we have
but about twenty-six persons to the
same area If this country had only
one-half of the density OF population
of Holland. we wouT have $4,000, oot
people. But as 1T is,Sthere is but one
State-Rhode Island--at all approach
ing Holland in the density of its popu-
lation.
"Increasing population would make
possible greater utilization of oui