Salt Lake Telegram | 1928-12-07 | Page 28 | Increased Production is One of Prosperity's Chief Bulwarks

I Increased Production Is One I Of Prosperity's Chief Bulwarks Editors Editor's Note This Note This is the second I of a series of three articles on Prosperity Pros Pros' Prosperity rosi as reflected in the annual report report of the department of com corn merce W WASHINGTON NEA NEA- NEA Every worker in the United States is producing producing producing pro pro- far more nowadays than his predecessor ot of a quarter of or a century century cen con tury ago did and this Is one of at the chief reasons for American pros pros- pe This r is brought out In the annual report of the tile department of commerce commerce com com- merce nerce which is a a sort of guidebook to An American prosperity as a whole wh The report sets forth some interesting interesting inter inter- esting eating figures For instance since the beginning of the present century century century cen cen- tury the population population of the country has increased about 5 55 per cent But during that same period the output t tot of ot minerals has ilas increased per percent percent percent I cent cent factory output has increased per cent and the volume of rail ran transportation has increased per percent cent Agricultural products have just about kept pace with population population population tion increase going up 55 per cent a a a I In the case of at every ierY one of four major branches of industry says says says' the report the increase in output since 1900 has been far greater than tran that in the number of or workers in agriculture manufactures manufactures tures and railways the product of goO goods or services per worker eng engaged en en- eni i g ged has increased from 50 to 60 per cent For mining the e per worker has been much higher hiher the difference however being due clue to the fact that the production of petroleum has multiplied several times Another change chanse brought by the past three decades is noted Al Although Al- Al Although though the total population has Ims In InCreased Increased increased in- in creased 55 per cent the aggregate number of f w workers in these four branches of industry mIning industry mining agriculture agriculture agri agri- culture transportation and manu manu- has has gone one Up only about 32 per pel cent In other words the number of or Americans engaged in such pursuits is actually smaller in proportion to the total population than it was thirty years ears ago abo What does docs this mean a a a aJust Just as there thero has baa been throughout through through- out American history a relative shift from froni the tire oldest of all nil indus indus- tr tries s agriculture a into mining manufactures and rail rali tion says the report so since 1900 th there re has bas been a shift shUt especially during recent years both from agriculture agriculture agriculture agri agri- culture and from these other three branches into the mercantile professional pro pro- and personal se service e pursuIts pur pur- suits Tho The numbers employed in Iii these have increased much more rapidly than the total population The white collar ollar class In Jn other words Is on the increase Tire explanation becomes clearer as the report continues continues- It points out that in the first place the new automobile industry has bas given gl Jobs other than man manufacturing jobs to at least salesmen people truck and bus drivers taxicab drivers ers and the like And there is an another another an- an other Important rac factor or Many thousands thousands thou thou- sands more young youns people are in high schools colleges and universities than was formerly the case cae Even in othe the short period fr from m 1920 to 1926 the number of students in such institutions rose roso from flom t to a a s returning to tie lae matter of of in increased increased in- in creased output per pel worker tire re report re- re port pott points out that since the war there has been an actual decrease in th the number of men employed In these four basic industries Conse Conse- the tho Increase in production amounts to a gain in production per per man h is far greater than than- the Is averages the thc fact 8 fh sho shoOn that W the tile On era a average avelae top of o this working th there thoro re week has ilas been shortened by by-at by least at least 1 15 per cent since the tile beginning of the tue century Then the tie report takes tales up tho most discussed question of f all all wily why is the United States prosperous Hero Here it it Indulges iI in some omo plain speaking the Th The present hSI prosperity y i p of United States Is in no sense due World war var it declares At its foundation lie He tho rich lieh resources of or the country not taxed by an excessive ev- ev population and the energy Intelligence Industry and thrift of the people neo During the tile past quarter ter tet century the I 1 inn increase e of r p I v- v i has been only in small part I due duo to the tho opening up of new natural natural nat nat- ural resources but has been bee chiefly attributable to what may be called human factors Tire Th underlying causes of advancing ad advancing ad- ad efficiency of oC American in industry industry industry in- in translate themselves into a number of moro more specific and direct ct factors Among these the most noteworthy noteworthy noteworthy note note- worthy are the advance in education education edu- edu tion scientific research and invention invention invention tion the rapidly increasing use of capital reflected in the greater reater employment employment em em- of mechanical power and I of a automatic and semiautomatic machinery the larger larser scale of production production pro pro- I auction permitting greater reater application application tion of mass methods and lowering I of unit costs the conscious and I conc concerted effort t to eliminate waste and improve e methods of production and distribution the high scale of at wag wages s re resulting l in general large buying power and the comparative stability of prices and of credit Tomorrow standardization and Efficiency A A