Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/500

SAINT LOUIS. 4r)G SAINT LOUIS. Commerce . l) Indistby. The railroad sys- tems of wliii'h Saint l^ouis is a i-ontre lonverye here from all parts of the United States anil also from Mexico anil Canada, tluiij;li tlie country in which the city has fostered railroad deV(do|inient most ill niarketinj; it> oiitinit lies south of Ne- braska and west of the .Mississij)!)!. The twenty- four railroads of which it is a terminus have dwarfed the influence of the Mississippi as the determinin<; factor of its trade without lessening the great advantage of direct river conununica- tion with tide water. The total annual ship- ments by rail and river were 11,15'.>,.S48 tons for 1!I02. The total freight received, including coal imported for home consumption, reached 1S,477,- 72!l tons. With a capital and surplus of .■fS7,- 2(i7,17.'!, the banks and trust companies rejiorted annual clearings of $2,50(i,804,320 for 1902. Though Saint Limis is important as a manu- facturing city and nuirkets its own industrial output, it is still more important commercially as a distributing centre for products representing the entire country. Its location makes it a point of clearing between manufactured products and the products of the soil for which they are exchanged. Its average annual receipts of grain are 70.437.0110 bushels': cotton. 70(1.000 bales: cat- tle, 1.181.000 head: hogs. 1.494.000 head; coal, 5.048,000 tons: lead, 2.007.000 pigs: zinc and spelter, 2.;!.')7,000 slalis; hides, 5G.237.000 pounds; wool. 20.378,000 jiounds. The principal items of its annual sales (in millions of dollars) are: Dry goods, 120: groceries, 75: boots and shoes, 50; tobacco and cigars, 41; shelf and heavy hard- ware, 35: woodenware, 10: lumber, 40: candy, 4; beer, 18; clotliing. 7; furniture, etc., 33; agri- cultural maehinerv and vehicles, 20; iron, steel, and wagon materials, 15; electrical machinery and supplies, 30 ; drugs and druggists' sundries, 40; glass, glassware, and queensware, 5; terra- cotta and clay products and brick, 5; stoves and ranges, 3; paints and oils, 6: hats and caps and gloves, 5; saddlery and harness, 5. The figures in dollars given above for tobacco represent a gross volume of 83,593.000 pounds and support the claiin of the city as 'the largest tobacco mar- ket in the world.' The total number of manufacturing estab- lishments in Saint Louis in the census year (1900) was 0732, with a capital of .$162,179,000 and an annual product of $233,629,000. The most important items were manufactured prod- ucts of tobacco, meat products, malt liquors, newspapers, books and periodicals, clothing, boots and shoes, brick and stone, railroad cars, bakery ])roducts, wagons and carriages, flour and grist- mill products, millinery, iron and steel, and fur- niture. The mininnun annual output represented in any one of these lines is $3,000,000: the maxi- mum (for maiuifactured toliacco) is $24,500,000. These figures do not include the manufacturing activities of the city's suburbs, both in Missouri and Illinois, East Saint Louis, the principal in- dustrial suburb on the Illinois side of the river, is connected by the magnificent Eads Bridge for railroads, wagons, and foot passengers. (See Bridge.) The Merchants' Bridge connecting the Illinois terminals of Saint Louis railroads with the Union Station system of terminals is for rail- roads only. The Union Station covers about eleven acres of ground with its main buildings and adjacent sheds. Saint Louis is a port of entry. Its exports are chiefly to ilexico. South America, and the West Indies. Its direct trade with the Philippines, mainly in nuilt liipiors, has assumed some im- ))oitance. The principal ex)>ort shipments of Hour and grain are to Central and South Amer- ica, Cuba, England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, and Germany. Exports to Europe consist largely of provisions. The principal items are dry-salt and sweet pickled meats, oleo, lard, and hides. Exports of agricultural supplies, hardware, elec- trical supplies, machinery, glass, etc, are mostly to S])anish Auierica. The direct imports through the Saint Louis custom house were $4,712,000 for the calendar year 1902. AUMINISTBATION AND MUNICIPAL ACTIVITIES. Saint Louis has the combined administrative nia- diiner}' of city and county. The municipal gov- criunent is vested in a bicameral legislative body with local (ward) representation through tlie House of Delegates and more general representa- tion through the Council, or Upper House; and in an executive department, consisting of the mayor and the departments under him. The heads of the more important departments are chosen by popular vote, the power to appoint heads of de- jiartments being left to the mayor only in those considered of less importance. The sheriff, coro- ner, civil and criminal courts, and police repre- sent the county system. The police are not sub- ject to the nuiyor, w'ho has, however, the power of appointing justices for the city or police courts. LTnder the "metropolitan system,' final control of the police is vested in the Governor of the State, but it is exercised through local com- missioners of his appointment. The expense of this virtually independent department is paid on its own estimates from the city treasury. The management of the public s-chools through an elective school board is also independent of the mayor and the departments under him. Direct control of public utilities extends only to the water-supply system, streets and sewers, public ])arks, and schools. The income from franchises in 1902 was .$205,000. out of total re- ceipts of $9,201,000, of which $6,581,000 were from taxes and licenses, and $1,756,565 from water rates. The net expense of maintaining the water service, exclusive of extensions, etc., was ■$537,136. The disbursements for all purposes were $8,470,000, including $1,200,000 for public debt; $1,023,000 for police; $870,000 for the health department and the various public chari- ties under it ; $765,401 for the fire department ; .$585,000 for public lighting; $438,720 for main- taining and improving streets; $374,350 for the courts; $180,000 for prisons; $165,000 for elec- tions and registration; and $115,000 for parks. The bonded debt of the city, including new in- debtedness incurred for the promotion of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, reaches $23,910.- 000. The total value of property as assessed for taxation is $418,046,000. The sewer system includes 530 miles of com- pleted sewers, costing $12,024,000. The water- works have a capacity of 120.000,000 gallons daily, while the daily consumption Is less than 70,000,000.-- Uie electric wires already below the surface occupy about 170 miles of conduits. The street railroads, with a single-track mileage of 337, carry in average years more than 145,- 000,000 passengers.