Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-07-07
Miserllansous Rraaina.
WORLDS ECONOMIC PROGRESS
Statistics Show United States Ranks
Hiqh in the Scale.

Statistics Show United States Rank.
High in the Scale.
In the basic elements of economic
progress says a Washington letter
the United States ranks high among
the nations of the world, being one OF
the five countries only which have an
area in excess Of three million square
miles, and the only nation Of the
western world Except Russia) hav-
ing a population of over one hundred
million. In the interchange of pro-
ducts among it's own people, it leads
the world, it's home trade at the pres
ent time being estimated at nearly 40
billion dollars, or equal to the inter-
national exchange of the world and
approximately ten times the value of
our own foreign trade now valued at
four billion dollars.
| That our present foreign trade is
far short of the immediate possibili-
ties of the nation, is evident from the
consideration of it's area, commerce
and other economic factors in COM
parison with that of other leading
countries, as set forth in comparative
tables published in the Statistical Abb
stract Of the United States. 1913,
compiled by the bureau Of foreign and
domestic commerce, department of
commerce. Thus the present export
trade of the United States (two and a
half billion dollars) represents about
$25 per capita. A per capita basis
equal to that Of Argentina would raise
the export power Of the United States
to five billion dollars, and one equal
to that of Belgium would bring its
exports to ten billion dollars a year;
while our aggregate foreign trade,
when upon a per capita basis as large
as that of Canada would be consider
ably over thirteen billion dollars a
year.
Other comparative tables in the
statistical Abstract" further empha-
United States and its strong interna-
tional position. In railway mileage,
for example, we possess one-third Of
the worlds total, our 25S,000 miles
being ten times as much as the mile
age Of the United Kingdom and six
times that Of Germany One company
alone has 23S,000 miles of telegraph
lines, or double the total in Russia,
next in order. More than one-third
of the worlds mail service is perform
ed upon routes located in the United
States, while our public debt of one
billion dollars is smaller than that of
Italy, Austria-Hungary, Spain, Ger
many, Australia, Japan, British India
or Great Britain, and Is less than one
sixth that of France, and one-fourth
that of Russia.
Temporary recessions have fire.
quently marked the course Of Ameri-
can commerce, but the tendency ,ac-
cording to historical tables published
in the Statistical Abstract, Is ever
higher. In eleven years, from 1890
to 1901. our foreign trade grew from
one and one-half billion to two and
one-fourth billion dollars, an increase
of so per cent, while in the eleven
years from 1902 to 1913, it increased
from two and one-fourth billion to
four and one-fourth billion, a gain of
80 per cent
The foundations Of this growth are
laid deep in the soil and natural re-
sources of our country and in the
character of our people. Thus the
American Union, from thirteen states
having 325 thousand square miles and
one million people, has expanded to
As states and the territories of Alaska,
Porto Rico and Hawaii, with an area
of three and two-thirds million square
miles and 100 million people. In the
period since 1870, the value Of our
farm products has risen from two bill
lion to about ten billion dollars a year,
the output Of coal from less than 80
to nearly 500 million long tons; cop
per from II 1-2 thousand to over
one-half million tons, pig iron from
two to thirty-one million tons; petrole-
um from 221 million to IA billion
gallons, and manufactures from 4
billion to over 20 billion dollars.
Data relating to education, labor,
finance, prices and other facts affect
ing the economic life of the people,
are also contained in the Statistical
Abstract Of the United States, 1913"
which may be procured from the su-
perintendents of documents, govern
ment printing office. Washington, D.
c., for so cents a copy.