MANUFACTURES. Indiana is somewhat less fortunate than some of its sister States in respect to natural facilities of transportation and the possession of cities favorably situated to draw trade. It has no centres of the first rank. Nevertheless, the highly developed state of railroad transpertation gives Indiana an easy :access to the markets of the country; and this, together with the superior resources of the State, is resulting in a rapid development of manufacturing. in 1900 there were 155,900 wage earners engaged in manufactures, an increase of 41 per cent. for the decade ending with that year, as against an increase of 59.1 per cent. for the preceding decade. The percentage of the popula tion engaged in manufacturing grew from 3.5 in 1580 to 5.0 in 1890 and 6.2 in 1900. Among the factors which are accountable for this recent growth, the most important is the development of the natural-gas resources of the State. From about 15'86 the production of gas increased steadily until 1899. when it exceeded in amount that of any other State. The nature of this fuel confines it, use to the region of production and to the immediately surrounding territories, where it may be secured by piping. Consequently. its benefits have been greatest to such towns as El wood, Anderson. Muncie, and other places located in the natural-gas belt. The industries which have been attracted to this district are those which require an abundance of cheap fuel. such as iron and steel and glass manufactures. These two industries now take rank among the most important of the State. the increase of each during the decade 1890 to 1900 being re spectively 307 and 392 per cent. The Indiana glass-factories now send shipments to Norway and New Zealand.
The manufacture of tin and terse plate has developed as a branch of the iron and steel in dustry. Another group of industries. and one that includes the three most important manufac tures of the State. owes its development to the abundant local agricultural resources. Wheat and corn respectiv'ely give rise to the flour-milling and the distilling industries; and the feeding of stock, espeeially hogs, is largely responsible for the development of an important slaughtering industry. From the table appended it will be
seen that there has been a slight decrease in the value of the flouring and grist mill products; hut this is due to the decline of prices rather than in the amount of the output of the nulls. The value of the production of liquors and of slaughtering and meat-packing products, on the contrary, in creased respectively 134.9 and 57.1 per cent. Three-fourths of the liquors produced are dis tilled. The distilling interests are centred in Terre Haute. The slaughtering and meat packing industry is the most extensive at Ham mond (not far from ('hicago) and at Indian apolis. During the decade 1890 to 1900 there was a decided decrease in wholesale slaughtering. not including meat-packing. This decrease has been much more than counterbalanced by the growth in that branch of the industry which includes meat-pa eking.
Another important group of manufactures has developed as a result of the extensive local timber resources. The forests contain valuable hard wood timbers, which are extensively used in the manufacture of carriages and wagons, furniture, and agricultural implements. South Bend is noted for the manufacture of carriage; and wagons. To the supplies of hard-wood also is partially due the prominence attained in car-con struction. The wood-pulp industry is likewise dependent upon the forests for its raw materials. Although the resources of the forests are rapidly diminishing., the industries which depend upon forest products continue to thrive, the necessary supplies being obtained from the adjoining States to the north and the south. Among other indus tries the manufacture of foundry and machine shop products is the most important. The gain during the decade amounted to 80.5 per cent. The printing and publishing output and the man ufacture of pottery, terra-cotta and fire-clay products also showed decided gains during the decade. The census figures on the next page show the relative importance of the leading in dustries for the years indicated.