Evening star., 1928-10-19

factured, the mineral and the farm
products, the banking resources and the
exports are of about the same value
today that they were in the whole
United States in 1900. The yearly pro-
duction of the farms. the mines and
the mills exceeds $4,000. 900 900, while
the construction contracts run about
81 900 900 900 If it is possible to judge
anything of the Importance which a
people set on spiritual values, or make
any estimate of their intellectual at
tainments by what they are eXpending
in construction of places of worship and
in the support cf the public schools.
some idea of the progress which the
South is making is revealed by the fact
that their school costs are twice as much
as those of the whole country in 1900,
while on the new church buildings that
cost more than $4,000 they are ex-
pending ST 100000 each week.
This day however. is not 10 mark a
local or sectional occasion. 1t is to
mark a national occasion. The great
deeds which we have recalled as among
the glories of this commonwealth we're
national deeds The great questions
which were at issue on these battle
fields were national questions. Out OF
the decision to which they were finally
brought there has been a common ad-
vantage and a common progress which
has accrued to the whole Nation. Had
the decision been otherwise we should
have all been robbed of great part of
the pride which we all feel today in
our country. Her achievements of the
past years would have been divested Of
much of their value and her prospects
for the future would have been devoid
of much of their hope. Instead of one
great country enjoying domestic peace
and progress, holding a comr' anding
position in the world, we shOG have
been a region of hostile factions, i'm
potent at home and despised abroad.
The service which we did for the cause
of humanity in 1898, the wor!G crisis
in which we successfully performed our
part in 1917 would all have been I'M
possible. Long since our common
heritage would have been dissipated,
our glory would have departed.
Growth of U. S. Unsurpassed
The growth which our country has
made since 1860 and the benefits it has
brought all our inhabitants are unsur-
passed. Our population which was
then about 31.500000, has risen to
about l18.000,000 Our wealth of about
$4,000. 100000 is now conservatively
estimated at $350,O00,000, 900. Our
foreign trade of only about $785. .000,00
has now become over S90000 200. 900.
Our railroad mileage has increased
from about 1000 to about 249, 900 and
its revenues have grown from $153,-
100000 to $6,250000. Public school
enrolment has risen from about
100000 to about 25000,000. Our
manufactured products have multiplied
from less than 100000 0000 to nearly
$4,000, 100000. In 1870 our farm
products were less than $4,000 900, 900,
while they are now around S13,0OO,-
100000 These figures illustrate our
progress
So great has been our enterprise and
industry that with only per cent of
the land and per cent Of the popula-
ton OF the world we produce over
% per cent of the grains and basic raw
materials. Many different elements
nave contributed to this development,
but they all rest on the fundamental
fact that we are a large country fur
nlshlng large market able to consume
the output of mass production. This
situation has encouraged the introduc-
ton OF labor-saving machinery. AS the
wage Garner became properly COM
pensated, as he began to cost more
the incentive was increased to make
him more Skillful and more productive.
One man can now take the seed from
as much cotton as would have been
done by $4,000 without the cotton gin.
and he can make as much yarn as
would have been produced by $4,000
women on the handWheelS of colonial
days.
The operation of machinery requires
a supply of power. In 1869 our indus
tries had LA horsepower for each
operator who added to the raw ma
terialS furnished him less than $500 of
manufactured value in a year. BY
1925 these had risen to 4.3 horsepower
and $4,000 of value. In the machinery
industry this reaches about 5000.
which is about three and one-half
times the best that is done in Europe.
Mechanical power has been increased
until 1t is equivalent to the work of
3 3.O00000,000 additional employees in
our industries. or more than $50 helpers