Animal Wealth of the United States 



523 



the leading exporters of boots and shoes, 

 in spite of the fact that the average price 

 per pair is $1.52, as against 95 cents for 

 those exported from Great Britain, and 

 about all of this difference goes to the 

 American workman. 



A TENFOLD INCREASE 



But the great increase in exports of 

 leather, and particularly in boots and 

 shoes, does not compare with the increase 

 in output for domestic consumption. 

 This is shown in the product of the man- 

 ufactories of Massachusetts, where the 

 increase of value of shoes made was 

 $70,271,966 in 1905, as compared with 

 1895, when the increase over 1885 was 

 only $7,405,548. A tenfold increase does 

 not look as if the Massachusetts shoe 

 markets were being injured by a small 

 duty on a portion of their material. 



No wonder that Governor Guild and 

 the Boston papers can boast of the great 

 prosperity of Boston and vicinity. Here 

 is a recent extract from the Boston 

 Globe: 



Boston is the center of the wealthiest and 

 best purchasing community in the country 

 without any exception whatever. 



In the purchasing ability of the average per- 

 son Boston is far ahead of all according to the 

 national census. 



Per capita wealth of the people of Boston, 

 $1,942; New York, $1,337; Philadelphia, $1,127; 

 Chicago, $1,016; St Louis, $918. 



One-twentieth of the wealth of the United 

 States is within 50 miles of Boston. 



One-fifth of the savings of the people of the 

 United States is in the Massachusetts savings 

 and cooperative banks to the credit of Massa- 

 chusetts depositors. 



GOVERNOR GUILD ON MASSACHUSETTS 

 PROSPERITY 



Governor Guild said in his annual ad- 

 dress to the legislature of Massachusetts 

 last January : 



Massachusetts, fourth from the foot in area, 

 is seventh from the top in population, fourth 

 from the top in the annual value of her manu- 

 factures, and third from the top in the annual 

 amount paid in wages. Measured by assessed 

 valuation of the property in her borders, Mas- 

 sachusetts is exceeded by but two States. 



Fourth from the foot in area, Massachusetts is 

 third from the top in wealth 



The annual value of the manufactured prod- 

 ucts of Massachusetts increased by but $175,- 

 173-033 between 1885 and 1895. It increased 

 by $300,267,558 between 1895 and 1905. The 

 total value of goods made in Massachusetts 

 was $1,150,074,860 in 1905. 



On October 31 the total amount on deposit 

 in our savings banks was, in 1885, $274,998,412; 

 in 1895, $438,269,861, and in 1905, $662,808,312. 

 The increase in the last decade was greater by 

 over $58,000,000 than in the decade that pre- 

 ceded it. In 1885 the average deposit for each 

 person of population was $141.64; in 1895, 

 $175.69, and in 1905, $220.67. The gain in de- 

 posits per capita in the last decade was greater 

 by nearly one-third than the gain in the pre- 

 ceding decade. 



We do not envy Massachusetts her 

 great prosperity. We all rejoice in it. 



With free hides, during the three or 

 four awful years the result of the Wilson- 

 Gorman tariff on general business, cattle 

 hides on the ranges of Western States, 

 such as Wyoming, were not worth the 

 taking off. In killing beef the hides had 

 necessarily to come off, but even then 

 they were thrown aside and never 

 shipped, because the railroad freight 

 charges alone amounted to more than the 

 hides would fetch in market, and so they 

 were thrown aside by the thousands and 

 rotted where thrown ; whereas now, in 

 these same States, with railroad charges 

 equally as high, each hide brings several 

 dollars and adds just that much to the 

 worth of every head of cattle. 



DUTY ON HIDES A GENERAL E-ENEEIT 



The duty on hides has been of general 

 benefit and of injury to no one. Neither 

 manufacturers, merchants, nor working- 

 men have been affected adversely by 

 the operation of the duty ; on the con- 

 trary, all have been benefited through in- 

 creased employment, increased wages, 

 and increased sales, while the cattle 

 grower has certainly benefited by a larger 

 sale of his product at profitable prices. I 

 do not deny that the duty increased the 

 price of hides somewhat, but the in- 

 creased value is of slight moment in the 

 cost of each pair of shoes, but is of much 

 concern as to each cattle hide. 



