TABLE 1. COMPARATIVE SUMMARY, 1850 TO 1900, WITH PER CENT OF IN'CREASK FOR EACH DECADE. 



i Decrease. 



Includes proprietors and firm members, with their salaries; number only reported in 1900, but not included in this table. (See Tables 30 and 31.) 



' Not separately reported. 



This table shows the statistics for the lumber indus- 

 try in condensed form and on the proper basis for com- 

 parison. For 1900 the number of establishments is 

 given as 33,035; this number being the total of all saw- 

 mills whether operated separately or in connection with 

 planing mills or logging camps or both, and of all in- 

 dependent timber camps. 



Under the heading of "capital" the total amount of 

 capital invested in all the four branches of the industry, 

 namely, dependent logging camps, sawmills, planing 

 mills, and independent logging camps or timber camps, 

 is shown. 



Under the headings of "wage-earners" and "wages" 

 are shown the total average number of wage-earners 

 employed in three of the four branches of the industry; 

 namely, total average number for saw and planing mills 

 combined, and the total average number for independ- 

 ent logging camps or timber camps. The wage-earners 

 in dependent logging camps are not shown in this table 

 because this branch of the industry was not considered 

 as in any sense an establishment, all of the expenses 

 incident to dependent logging operations being charged 

 against the sawmill conducting such operations as an 

 item in the total cost of materials. Hence the total 

 number of wage-earners shown for the United States, 

 283,260, represents the total number employed in the 

 industry exclusive of those in dependent logging camps. 



Under the heading of "miscellaneous expenses "is 

 shown the total of all miscellaneous expenses incurred 

 in all four branches of the industry, except amounts 

 paid for contract logging. 



Under the heading of "materials" is placed, first, 

 stumpage value of all timber reported as cut during 

 the census year, together with all supplies consumed 

 by forces engaged in the cutting of the timber. In the 

 case of independent logging camps the cost of materials 

 stops at this point. In the case of sawmills all further 

 expenses incident to transporting the logs to the mill 

 were added in. To this was added the cost of all logs 

 and bolts purchased for the sawmill, rough lumber for 

 the planing mill, and all other materials for both saw- 



mill and planing mill, together with items of mill .sup- 

 plies, freight, fuel, power, and heat. This makes the 

 aggregate cost of materials $317,923,54:8, as shown for 

 the United States. 



Under the heading of "products" the total value to 

 the establishment of all products turned out is given. 

 In the case of the sawmill this means that to the value 

 of all merchant sawed product was added the amount 

 received by the mill for work done for customers, the 

 value of custom products being in all cases excluded. In 

 the cases of planing mills and timber camps, the total 

 value of products as reported was taken. The total 

 value of products for the United States, $566,832,984, 

 was made up in this way. 



In the half century the value of products has multi- 

 plied nearly ten times. In the same time the number 

 of establishments has less than doubled, showing a 

 great increase in average capacity. The capital in 1900 

 was fifteen times as great as in 1850, again indicating 

 the concentration of the business. The number of 

 employees has multiplied in the half century about live 

 and a half times, which, with the still greater increase 

 in products, argues an increased efficiency per hand, due. 

 probably, to the use of superior machinery and appli- 

 ances. The cost of material has increased at a rate 

 slightly greater than the value of products. 



The marked decrease in the number of establishments 

 in 1890 as compared with those of 1880 has not been con 

 tinued in 1900, but in place thereof an enormous increase 

 in the number of establishments is seen, amounting to 

 not less than 46 per cent. Capital has increased nearly 

 10 per cent, indicating that the tendency toward the 

 centralization of the business has ceased, at least for the 

 present, and that small mills have multiplied. The 

 number of employees has apparently decreased at the 

 rate of 9.6 per cent during the last decade, but this is 

 probably fallacious, as previously explained, while the 

 amount of wages has increased 19 per cent, which would 

 indicate a considerable increase in the amount of wages 

 per hand. The cost of material has increased 31 per 

 cent, and the value of product 29 per cent during the 



