The last census of the United States, taken in 1890, and the results of which were announced in 1891, shows that we have a population of 62,-622,250. The census of 1880 counted 50,155,783, of whom 17,392,099 were earners.

The combined wealth of the country in 1880 amounted to over $50,000,000,000 - about $880 per head, or $2,600 per worker. Half of this was in lands and houses. This half was made up of farms, $10,197,000,-000; residence and business real estate, $9,881,000,000; public buildings, churches, etc., not taxed, $2,000,000,000. One-eighth was railroads ($5,-536,000,000); another eighth, household furniture and supplies, ($5,000,-000,000); the other quarter, live stock and farm tools, ($2,406,000,000); mines and quarries, ($781,000,000); telegraphs, ships and canals, ($419,-000,000); specie, $(612,000,000); miscellaneous ($650,000,000); and the stock of products and imports, ($6,160,000,000).

The annual product or earnings of the nation are given by the census of 1880 as $8,500,000,000. One tenth of this is used on farms. The product is very unevenly divided. An even division would give about $450 per year to each earner, or less than 45 cents per day for each person. But it has been reckoned that in 1880 fifty persons had an average income of $1,000,000 each per year; 2,000, $100,000; 100,000, $10,000; a million, $1,000; 14,000,000 under $400 per year.

The chief wastes are as follows:

1. Drink. The "liquor bill" of this country, at the price paid dramshops, is estimated at from $474,000,000 up, of which a large part is worse than waste.

2. Fire. The loss by fire each year now exceeds $100,000,000, of which the $50,000,000 paid back by insurance companies is none the less loss. The expenses of insurance companies are $35,000,000 in addition, and for fire departments, $25,000,000 more.

3. Crime and pauperism. The census reported 59,255 criminals in jail, and 67,067 paupers in poor-houses. These are by no means all. Their support costs over $12,500,000 per year, but the full loss by crime runs probably toward fifty millions.

4. Waste of food. We consume now about $500,000,000 worth of food, of which probably 10 per cent is wasted by extravagance, bad cooking, etc.

5. Strikes and lack of employment. There were in one year (1880) 762 strikes recorded, of which 226 are known to have resulted in a loss of $3,700,000 unearned wages. Still greater is the loss by lack of employment for men willing to work.