Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/140

 CXVlll

UNITED STATES

Since 1878 the tin-plate industry in the United States has grown with wonderful rapidity, the production in the six fiscal years beginning with July 1, 1881, and ending with June 30, 1897, having been as follows, in long tons : [Fiscal years]

Articles 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1S9T Tin plates. Terne plates. Total. . Long Tons 2,026 4,066 Long Tons 20,421 24,141 Long Tons 36,433 25,720 Long Tons 53,718 32,800 Long Tons 94,906 42,250 Long Tons 158,638 40,908 6,092 44,562 62,153 86,518 137,156 199,546

In April, 1898, there were in the United States 69 completed tin-plate works, and one additional works was in course of erection. The following table, compiled from the publications of the Bureau of Statistics of the Treasury Department, shows the quantities of tin plates and terne plates imported into the United States in each calendar year from 1893 to 1897, with their foreign values. It shows a steady and rapid decline in imports.

IMPORTS OF TIN PLATES AND TERNE PLATES INTO THE UNITED STATES, 1893 TO 1897

Year Quantity Value Year Quantity Value 1893 1894 1895 Long tons 253,155 215,068 219,545 $15,559,423 12,053,167 11,482,380 1896 1897 Long ions 119,171 83,851 $6,140,161 4,366,828

The estimated number of cotton spindles (according to "Cotton Facts," by A. \^. Shepporson) in the United States on September 1 of the years named was as follows :

Year In the Northern States In the Southern States Total in United States 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 13,500,000 13,700,000 13,800,000 13,!)00,000 13,900,000 2,200,000 2,400,000 2,850,000 3,250,000 3,550,000 15,700,000 16,100,000 16,650,000 17,150,000 17,450,000