Alaska sentinel., 1908-12-10
William E. Curtis Says Croesus Was Pauper Beside Our
 Uncle Sam.
FIGURES SHOW BIG GROWTH.
Per Capita Wealth in 1870 Was S77o. o.S3; in 1907 It Was
 S1,310.11.

are some nEureS that everybody should read, because they mean so much. They measure our greatness AS a nation and our prosperity as people. and al though they are so stupendous that the human mind almost refuses to compre- bend them, they carry lesson that ev- cry citizen and every school boy should learn. Uncle sam Is richer than any other nation that exists or ever has existed. Croesus, King of Lydia, whose name has been synonym for wealth Tor ages, was pauper compared to lim.
 From the reports of the bureau of statistics, the census bureau. the Treas lry and Agricultural Department VII liam E. Curtis. the Washington core 'podent, has compiled a few significant figures showing the material develop nent of the United States within the ast thirty years. He has select ed the year 1870 as basis of compari- 'on, because That was the beginning of new era In American commerce and industry that followed the Civil War. Although the panic of '73 arrested the growth of the country for a time. the present. period of development began hen.
 The population of the country in 1870 vas 3s,55S, ,371. or 12.14 to the square nile; the population on the Both of Juap, 1907, according to the estimates of the census bureau. was S5,593303, or 2S2S per square mile.
 The tangible wealth of the country, the rue valuation of real and personal prop rty, according to the census of 1870, was '3O,06s,51S,oo0. while in 1907 it is esti- mated at more than three times that mount. or S1O7, ,1042l1917.
 As far back as 1850 the per capita wealth of the United States was csti- mated at $307.G9. In 1870 it had more han doubled and was estimated at HI9.S9. In 1907 it had almost doubled Igain, and has reached the sum of S1,- H011 per capita. which proves that We ire the richest people that ever existed. n other words. if the real and personal property belonging to the inhabitants of he United States could be equally dis ributed among them, each man. women md child living ou the Both of June last would have been entitled to S1.31O.11.
 In 1870 the deposits in national banks or the whole United States amounted to iJ42, ,261 ,563, while on the Both of Sep ember last they were S4,322, SsO, HI.
 In 1870 the deposits in savings banks were S549, ,S74.35S. while on the Both of September, 1907, they were S3,G9O,O7S,- 45.
 Taking the two together and including Ill the banks-natonal. State. private md savings-the deposits have increased ightfold during the last thrty-saven rears-from S1.Oo2, l35921 in 1870 to sS,o23. .2SS,sS6 in 1907.
 The bank clearings for the entire coun- ry are not given for 1870 The earliest ivaiiabe figures are for 1890. when the otal for the United States was SJS.S45,- !79,505, which has increased to Sl57,- i49, ,32S.913 for the last fiscal year. l. The national bank circulation in 1870 was ,S2SS GAS, ,OS1, while on Dec. If last was S675, ,3O5.
 In 1870 we had only S25,OOO.OOO silver md gold coin. To-day We have S1,233,- i05,sG of which S756,GG5, ,s69 is gold md the remainder silver.
 The interest bearing debt of the United States has been reduced from S2, ,O46, i55,- i22, or S6o.46 per capita of population, 1870 to SS69, ,603,0l0, or SlO.26 per :apita, in 1907. The annual interest .harges on the public debt have been re- luced from $11s,1si ,9GO, or 8 per cap ta of population. to S21,62S,914 or 9 .ents per capita of population.
 Notwithstanding the reductions in war axes since 1870, the ordinary revenues Df the government have increased from sj95, ,959, ,S3i in that year to S663, l 14O, 434 1907, and the ordinary expenditures nave increased from Sl64, ,421, ,5O1 to s554, ,422, ,5S9. This does not include the .eceipts or expenses of the postal service, which is almost self-sustaining. Last rear the receipts from postage were s1S3,- js5,005 and the expenses Sl91,214,3 ,3s7. eaving deficit of S7,629,3S7 to be paid put of the treasury.
 The total revenues of the government 1907 were SS4G, 725, ,339 and the total expenses SS19,s40, l5O.
 The increase in the pension roll has been enormous. The total in 1870 was s2S, 34O, POP, and in 1907 it is S139, ,3Oo,- 514. The cost of the army in 1870 was b57, ,5G8,G75. and in 1907 Sl22, ,576, i65. The cost of the navy during the same pc .iod has increased from S21, 1,7SO,23O to s97, ,12S, ,4G9.
 The imports of merchandise in 1870 amounted to S43j, j,9JS 40S, and our ex- ports were S392,771,7GS that year, while n 1907 the imports were Sl,434. .421 .425 md the exports S1,SS0,s5l,07S. In 1870 he exports per capita of population were s0.77, and, notwithstanding the enormous increase in population, the per capita In 1907 was S21.G6.
 The foreign commerce of the United States for the calendar year of 1907 has been larger than in any previous year in he history of the country, both in i'm ports and exports, and our trade with every grand division of the world is in ex- cess of any previous year. The imports during the eleven months ending Nov. 30 exceeded S1, ,33O, 900, 900, while the exports