Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-09-25
FARM IMPLEMENT
INDUSTRY CROWS
GOVERNMENT STATISTICS SHOW
WONDERFUL INCREASE IN
FACTORY OUTPUT.

Washington, D. c., Sept. 23.--Sta-
tistics of the agricultural implement
industry In the United States for 1903
are presented in detail In bulletin
soon to be issued by Director Harris
OF the bureau Of the census, depart
ment Of commerce. 1t was prepared
under the direction of w. M. Stuart,
chief statistician for manufactures.
This industry includes establish
ments whose products of chief value
are machinery or implements designed
for use in agriculture. Agricultural
implements in general are divided
into four groups, namely, implements
OF cultivation, seeders and planters,
harvesting implements, and seed sep
arators. These groups in turn are
sub-divided into numerous classes.
The increasing acreage under cult
walton and the difficulty of procuring
farm labor in the United States, to-
gether with the demand for agricul-
tural implements in foreign markets,
have not only brought about q vast
growth in the industry but have no
doubt been influential factors in the
development of more expensive and in
tricate agricultural machinery.
Statistics Of the Industry.
At the census Of 1849, 1888 estab-
lishments were reported as engaged in
the manufacture of agricultural imple-
ments. the employees numbering 1920
and the products being valued at &c.
S42,611. At the census Of 1859, 1882
establishments, giving employment to
ALI average of 14,814 hands, were re-
ported, the value of products amount
ing to 1857, $3.50.
The number of establishments re-
porting in 1909 was $40, with products
valued at $146,329,268, as compared
with 2,076 establishments in 1869, re-
which shows the remarkable growth
and concentration Of the industry. The
$40 establishments In 1909 reported
capital Of $256,2S1 ,0S6, with 60,229 per-
sons engaged in the industry, of whom
|50,551 were wage, earners. The ex-
penses were $117,940,357, of which
$2S, 608,61 was for wages and SIC, 1885,
99S for salaries. The cost of materials
used was $50, 306,519 and the miscel-
laneous expenses $1S,885,225. The
value added to the materials used by
manufacture was $86,022,749.
OF the persons engaged in the in
dustry in 1909, 5S,517 were males and
|1,712 females, of whom 61.4 per cent
we're clerks; the average number OF
children under 16 years of age employ.
ed as wage earners was only 206.
Practically all (94.9) per cent of the
wage earners were employed In estab-
lishments where the prevailing hours
were from 81 to 60 per week.
Comparisons OF the returns for each
census from 1869 to 1909 show an in
crease in value of products for each
census, varying from 1874 per cent for
the decade 17S9-1889 to 44.6 for 1899
1909. The. absolute increase for this
latter period was $45,121,S40, of which
$34.32l,924 represents the Increase
from 1904 to 1909. The value Of pro-
ducts In 1909 was almost three times
as great as that in 1869. A consider
able part of the total value Of products
represents products other than agricul-
tural implements. So far as these pro-
ducts could be identified, their value
in 1909 amounted to $11,477, S29, COW
ering products primarily manufactured
in other industries. On the other
hand, agricultural implements were re-
ported in 1909 to the value Of $685.
276 by establishments engaged prim-
arily In the manufacture Of other pro-
ducts.
The report shows that the value Of
the export of agricultural implements
has increased from $3,80o,000 in 1890
and 100000 in 1900 to $25,600, 900
in 1909.