The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1922-03-23
ONE HUNDRED YEARS GROWTH
United States Doubles Area; In
crease Population 10 Times,
Foreign Trade 60 Times

the year 1922 with those of the cor
responding year of the preceding
century gives us renewed confidence
in the industrial and commercial
future of our country, says the
Trade Record of the National City
Bank of New York. The population
which in 1922 was less than 10000
900, is now 1O7, 100000, or more
than ten times that of century ago,
while the population of the world as
whole increased but about $50 per
cent. meantime.
Our international commerce even
in the present moment of depression
is 60 times as much as that of a cen
fury ago, having grown from $780,
100000 in 1921 to nearly or quite
81, 900 100000 in 1921, while inter-
national commerce of the world in
1921 may possibly total 40 times
that of century ago when it stood
at $1,659, 100000.
Transportation Speeds Growth
This growth with us has been
largely due to increased facilities of
transportation. In 1921 our great
Mississippi valley with its wonderful
producing possibilities had but about
100000 people, and their only
method of sending their products to
tidewater was by the rivers and the
great lakes, for even the Erie canal
was not yet finished at that date and
steam railways for commercial SER
vice were then a thing unknown in
any part of the world OF the $780,
900 miles of railways built in all the
world since 1921, over one-third
was constructed in the United States,
chiefly to connect the great interior
with the ocean frontages, and the
middle west" which had then g..
000,0 population has now 50,O00,-
600 and is not only the worlds big
gest producer of grain and meats but
it turning out over one-third of the
manufacturers of the country.
The manufacturers of the whole
world in 1920 are estimated by Null.
hall at $4,250, 100000 while our CEN
sus of 1920 puts the value Of those
of the United States alone at $62,-
900, 100000 or nearly Is times that
of the whole world century earlier
With this tremendous growth in our
industries our exports of domestic
m a n u lures exclusive of
foodstuffs have grown from less
than $8,000,000 in 1921 to over So
600, 100000 in 1921, or $50 times as
much in the clean year" just ended
as in the corresponding year of the
preceding century
With this increase in industrial,
commercial and business activity has
come a corresponding advance in
financial requirements and supplies.
and the total money in circulation"
which was officially reported at $67,-
100000 in 1920 is officially stated
at S5,676,7 200 on December / :,
1921. Meantime the centers of in
dustry and business have grown
amazingly, the population of New
York having increased from $780,
900 in 1922 to over 100000 in
1922, Philadelphia from 100000 to
nearly 100000, and Chicago from
hamlet" Of log houses in 1920 to
approximately 100000 in 1922.
Land Area is Doubled
Not all of this growth in the in
dustries and prosperity of the coun-
try has come from mere increase
in population, for our area has dou-
bled meantime, the total area of the
United States having grown from
100000 square miles in 1921 to
$4,000 square miles, including AL
aska, at present. Our additions of
territory since 1922 consist of Texas,
Arizona, New Mexico, and the entire
Pacific frontage, and thus includes
enormous additions to the agricul.
tural and mineral wealth of the
country.
Thus the year 1922, finds the Uni
ted States the worlds chief agricul
tural, manufacturing, commercial
and financial nation. The POSSIBLE
ties of further expansion in all
these lines are found in the fact that
our population, exclusive of AL
aska, is still only SO per square mile
or less than one-tenth that of GER
tain of the most prosperous of our
European neighbors.