528 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Percentage increase of water power. The following tabulation 

 shows the percentage of increase of water power : 





1890-190O 



1880-1890 



1870-1SS0 





per cent 



per cent 



per cent 





10.5 



5.6 



12.5 





17.6 



15.5 



30.7 



Rhode Island 



6.5 



22.6 



20.3 



New York 



57.6 



6.6 



5.3 



The foregoing tabulations show that in all the States enumerated 

 there has been great development of steam power in the last thirty 

 years, but that in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island 

 there has been relatively less development of water power than 

 of steam power. In New York State the development of water 

 power in the last ten years is relatively double the development 

 of steam power. 



In considering statistics, it is important to draw the right con 

 elusions — an error perpetuated, may falsify history and lead to 

 the adoption of erroneous policies. Let us examine, therefore, as 

 to the real significance of these statistics. In the first place, they 

 indicate that twenty to thirty years ago, in Connecticut, Massa- 

 chusetts and Rhode Island, the most of the available water power 

 had been developed, but that manufacturing as a whole had not 

 by any means reached a maximum. When we consider the his- 

 tory of these States we find that every stream has a reservoir upon 

 it and that the water power has been developed to its full capacity. 

 The developments in these States in the last ten to twenty years 

 have mostly been those that were not developed earlier because 

 of greater cost. Probably some developments were overlooked, 

 but still the general proposition is true, that in any manufacturing 

 community expensive developments will not be entered upon until 

 after the cheaper ones are fully utilized. 



Comparison of the development of water power in New York 

 with the developmenl in New England, It has been the custom to 

 consider New York State as first in rank of population, manufac- 

 tures, development of water power, etc. The writer, however, con 

 siders that Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island all out- 

 rank New York State in these particulars. It ought to be well 

 understood that a comparison without regard to area is not legiti- 



