INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1875. ccxxix 



usually called by the United States Commissioner, when 

 the general policy in regard to the kinds of fish to be spe- 

 cially treated on a large scale, and the most suitable places 

 for their introduction are established. This meeting for 



1875 was held in New York about the time of the annual 

 meeting of the Fish-Culturists' Association, and that for 



1876 will probably be called at Philadelphia some time dur- 

 ing the period of the International Exposition. 



INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS. 



The condition of the Iron producing and manufacturing 

 industries of the country, although presenting certain favor- 

 able features, is at the time we write much the same as at 

 the close of the previous year. In attempting to present a 

 statistical resume of these important industries, we are con- 

 fronted with the same difficulty to which we referred in our 

 last; namely, the impossibility of securing accurate returns 

 of yearly production until long after the close of the year ; 

 while estimates of probable production, owing to the magni- 

 tude of the industries, are more or less untrustworthy. The 

 Statistical Report of the Secretary of the American Iron and 

 Steel Association, just published, and containing detailed sta- 

 tistics of the American iron trade up to January 1st, 1875, 

 will enable us to bring forward our figures of last year's 

 Record to the date above named, and to replace our esti- 

 mated values for the year 1874 with ascertained results. 

 We are likewise able to supplement the association's statis- 

 tics with certain facts in relation to the same subject, and 

 which afford information of interest with regard to pig-iron 

 production up to September 1st, 1875. 



The figures published by the association are, for pig-iron, as 

 follows : The total production of the year 1874 was 2,689,413 

 net tons, against 2,868,278 net tons in 1873, and 2,854,558 

 tons in 1872 ; showing a decrease of 178,865 net tons as com- 

 pared with 1873, and of 165,145 tons as compared with 1872. 

 Notwithstanding this decrease, the production of 1874 w T as 

 much larger than w r as generally anticipated ; much larger 

 than the partial returns made to the association, and from 

 which our estimated values, as published in last year's Rec- 

 ord^ were obtained, indicated. 



This unexpected result the secretary explains by pointing 



