Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-01-21

later, the number had risen to 1,Sis. while
in 1900 the census bureau Investigators
found 800 establishments, an increase OF
s..i per cent in the five-year period. To-
day, according to the best information,
sooO or more manufacturing plants are
operating in the state.
No figures are available as to the NUM-
Der Of persons engaged in factories in
1899. but In 1904 the number so employed
was ascertained to be 25.356. In 1900 the
workers in Nebraska factories had In
creased to 1895, a percentage Of gain
In tho flye-year period Of ISL Dividing
all those engaged in manufactures into
the three classes, proprietors and firm
members, salaried employees. and wage
earners, the percentages Of gain from
1904 to boo were 32.5. 600 and col, re-
spectively. The salaries and wages paid
amounted to the handsome total OF 'is.-
43s.@o.
Value of Product Figures.
The 900 establishments turned out
products TO the amount Of sle,ols.0a. In
making this product materials were con-
vimed valued at sl5i. os1. 900. Thus, the
value added TO the raw material by man.
ufaeture was si7.ess,uo, and in holding
that this figure best represents the net
wealth created by the factory operations
during the year the census report says
'sThe value Of products is not a salts
factory measure Of either the absolute
or the relative Importance OF a given
Industry, because, only a part OF this
value is actually created by the manu-
featuring process carried on in the In
dustry itself. Another part Of 1t, ano
often By far the larger part, represents
the value Of the materials used. which
have been produced by agriculture Of
mining, or by other Industrial establish
ments. For many purposes, therefore
the best measure Of the Importance Of
different classes Of industry is the value
created as the result of the manufactur
ing operations carried on within the In
dustry. This value is obtained by de
Quoting the cost OF the materials con
sumed from the value Of the product.
In computing value Of products th'
amounts given represent the selling vaiu'
at the factory Of all products manufae
tured during the year, which may diftel
from the value of the products sold,
Amounts received for work on materials
furnished by others are included.
Individual Operations Kept secret
In this connection II is interesting tc
note that in the item value added
ty neutrality-suspicious. is. value of prod
ucts less cost OF materisl-there was de
crease Of l0s PER cent reported for th'
psriod 10000. while for the period 19oi-o
there was an increase OF $50 per cent il
.bis item. The statistician explains thai
The decrease for the first period was "du'
largely to the figures reported Tor tht
lead smelling and refining industry. Thii
industry is included under the head al
other industries because its statistics
canhot be given without disclosing inei
vidusI operations
Figures on capital involved in manu-
factures are frankly admitted, BY tbs
compiler of the report, 20 be 50 defee
i've as 10 be without value. except a
indicating very general conditions
rsz the capital was given as s5.ss.oo'. il
"a, 81 ssles9 and in 1909 Se.ssles thu
showing a gain OF "a per cent in III
fve-year period lssi-9
EXPENSES Of operating rose from Sl3,
,sa, in $50 to sl4s.Sp.oo in 1904 and Il
,lS,sS7.oco in 1see. the percentage Of in