Summing up, it appears that of the entire agricultural product of the world the United States produces 23 per cent - a little less than one-fourth; while Russia produces 15 per cent, and Germany and France 12 per cent each. This proportion of the agricultural product of the earth which is contributed by the United States, enormous when contrasted with her population and area, is further emphasized by the fact that for every man here engaged in agriculture a product valued at $900 is contributed, while the average Frenchman produces but $580, and the average German but $510, in agricultural products. In other words, the average American farmer produces over 50 per cent more than the citizen of any other nationality. This is due primarily to the fact that the farms of the United States have larger areas. The average farmer of this country cultivates 44 acres, while the Frenchman cultivates but 13, and the German but 8. On the other hand, farming is more intensive in Europe than in America, the product per acre being probably nearly twice as great; but with the abundance and cheapness of land and the high cost of labor in America, it is plainly a good business policy for the American to get his crops by the use of much land, with a minimum of labor. He is enabled by the use of better tools and more machinery to work an area three or four times as great as the European cultivates. The American uses machinery in farming as far as possible; the European scarcely at all.

The position of the United States in the field of manufacture is, in many respects, quite as strong as in agriculture. Of the cotton cloth of the world we make more than one-fifth, being excelled by Great Britain only. Of the woollen cloth we make nearly one-fourth, excelling in that respect the mother country. Of linen we make 27 per cent of the world's product · more than twice as much as Germany, our nearest competitor. Of the paper of the world we manufacture no less than 46 per cent not much less than one-half that of the world, three times as much as Great Britain, and nearly four times as much as France. Of glass we make nearly a third of the world's product, while France, our nearest competitor, makes less than one-fourth.

It is, perhaps, in the manufacture of iron and steel that our preëminence over other nations is more decided than in any other commodity. The time was, and not so long ago as to be beyond the remembrance of most of the present generation, when, as iron-makers, we were in an infantile condition. It is only a few years since we became the leading nation of the earth in respect to this, the most important, branch of manufactures. Now 34 per cent of the iron ore of the world comes

from our mines; 34 per cent of the pig iron comes from our furnaces; and 37 per cent of the steel is produced in our crucibles and converters. There is no other country on earth which approaches this production. Germany's share in the world's product of iron ore is less than onefourth, and of pig iron only a little more than one-fifth. Her steel product is only about two-thirds as large as ours. Great Britain produces half as much iron ore and two-thirds as much pig iron as this country does, and her steel product is just one-half as large as ours.

Of all the manufactured goods produced on earth, the United States contributes more than one-third, or 34 per cent. Her production of manufactured goods is nearly seven times as great as her proportion of population. Great Britain contributes 15 per cent of the manufactured goods of the earth, Germany 12 per cent, and France 11 per cent.

These figures suggest an extraordinary efficiency for the American artisan, which is borne out by examination of the figures of production and of occupations. The average gross manufactured product, per hand, in the United States has a value of $1,900 per annum. The French artisan, under the same definition, produces $650; the English artisan, $485; and the German, $450. In other words, the product, per hand, of the United States artisan is nearly three times as great as that of his nearest competitor. Of course, it is understood that these figures, although comparable with one another, are not correct as representing the value of the manufacturing processes. The value of the raw material should have been subtracted from that of the gross product before dividing it by the number of hands. This would, naturally, reduce the figures, but it would reduce them practically in the same proportion.

This enormous difference in efficiency between the artisans of the United States, on the one hand, and those of Europe on the other, which is due mainly to the universal use in this country of the most modern machinery and methods, enables us not only to hold our own markets, but to invade successfully the home markets of other countries, to send coal to Newcastle, steel to Sheffield, and cotton to Lancashire.

In mining the showing is still more favorable to us. Of course, in this branch of industry we enjoy the possession of an abundance of ores easily mined and worked, which fact is our chief advantage. Of the coal of the earth we produce 29 per cent- more even than Great Britain, which is now producing 27 per cent. Of petroleum we produce 43 per cent, being exceeded in this product by Russia, which produces more than half the world's total.

Of gold we produce 31 per

cent, and of silver 33 per cent, being the leading producer of both met

als. Of copper we produce 56 per cent; our nearest competitor being Spain, with less than one-eighth of the world's production. Of lead we produce a fourth; again Spain follows, with a little more than onefifth. Of quicksilver we produce 29 per cent. Here again we are exceeded by Spain, whose great mine at Almaden produces nearly 40 per cent of the world's supply. Of zinc we produce one-fourth, and here we are exceeded by the zinc region of Western Europe - the Rhine Provinces, Belgium, and the Netherlands, from which come nearly twofifths of the world's supply. Tin is the only metal of importance in the arts which we do not produce in quantity. Of the total of all the mining products of the earth the United States produces not less than 39 per cent, which is a far greater proportion than that of any other country.

The business of transporting passengers and goods from place to place is one of vast magnitude. It is estimated that $6,000,000,000 are annually expended by the world in such transportation. Of the agencies in use the railroad has come to be the chief. For the last two generations the United States has been busily engaged in building up a railroad system and developing its management, so that it now possesses a most effective and thorough means of internal communication. With our area of 3,000,000 square miles we have nearly 200,000 miles of railroads. Our railroads comprise not less than 40 per cent of the mileage of the earth, and exceed in mileage those of all Europe.

Our shipping stands in nominal tonnage next to that of Great Britain. The latter country possesses 38 per cent of the tonnage of the world; the United States has 20 per cent. After the United States comes the double kingdom of Norway and Sweden, which, with Denmark, has 10 per cent of the shipping of the world, one-half the amount which sails under the United States flag. The next is Germany, which possesses 6 per cent only. It will be seen from this that although our merchant fleet is little more than half that of Great Britain, it is very large compared with that of other nations.

Summing up the earnings of the various agencies of transportation, it appears that, of the total amount of such earnings in the world, the share of the United States is very nearly one-third, or 32 per cent. This is considerably more than double that of Great Britain, with 14 per cent; more than two and a half times that of Germany, with 12 per cent; and nearly three times that of France, whose share is 11 per cent.

The foreign commerce of this country does not bear as high a proportion to its population as do its industries, for the reason that there are

few commodities, either food materials, raw materials for manufactures, or manufactured goods, which are not produced in this country; so that there is little occasion for purchasing goods derived from foreign sources. Hence, our imports are small, being only 8 per cent of the total imports of all countries.

As to exports, we have first to supply our own people, and it is the surplus only which is sold to others. That surplus is, however, relatively large. It is nearly double the imports, the balance of trade being largely and continuously in our favor. Our exports are commonly 15 per cent of the total exports of all countries. Though only a small fraction of our products are sold abroad, perhaps not more than 10 per cent, still our exports are larger than those of any other country, slightly exceeding even those of Great Britain. HENRY GANNETT.

21

OUR PUBLIC UNTIDINESS.

THE average American is pretty well satisfied with his own country and people. However small his knowledge of foreign lands, he has always at least until recent years been noted for his confident assurance that his own land is the best the sun shines on. He has been wont to look upon the Old World as "effete," and to resent criticism of American ways; retorting usually upon such criticism by shifting the issue to something on which he could advance a tu quoque to the advocate of the British or German or Italian example. This provincial complacency has, however, received many rude shocks of late years, and tends to disappear through larger contact with the world about us. Wider horizons are already beginning to broaden our views of our own institutions, and we are occasionally subjected to searchings of heart which are no doubt good for our souls.

Amid the varied shocks which our national self-satisfaction is bound to receive in the process of our graduation from insularity to worldpower, there is one in preparation which may come as a surprise even to well-educated Americans, although its cause has long been a matter of painful consciousness to individuals, especially to Americans who have travelled abroad. We are slowly learning that we are the most untidy among all the great nations of the world. We are gradually awaking to the humiliating embarrassment of one who, entering a company of his fellow-men, discovers that he alone among them is shabby and unkempt, and that he has entirely failed to apprehend the ideas of dress and the standards of personal appearance that prevail among those whose company he is to frequent.

The discovery that there is more of filth, squalor, and general slovenliness in public places and works, in streets, squares, river-sides, docks, quays, roads, and bridges in the United States than in any other country of the first or even second rank is a humbling but salutary experience. In what may be called our public housekeeping, in the outward appearance and maintenance of places and works administered by public or semi-public enterprise, we rank with Turkey rather than