St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1879-02-22
BUSINESS IN THE SOUTH.
The Outlook forHsSs-A Gratifying Show
Ing.

Ine New I ORR Herald puDllsnes leLte1s
from observers in all the southern states,
showing the commercial and financial con-
dition of this section. The outlook, as pic
tured by these correspondents. is most
gratifying. Virginia is the only southern
state that reports no Improvement over
last year, and even there is feeling OF
confidence springing up which will have
visible effect on next years business.
The tax ON tobacco ID cited g. the cause
of the continued depression in the old
dominion. It has apparently driven the
manufacture of that article out of the
state, and has flooded the markets with
the low grades of leaf (which bring no
adequate return to the producer, and are
of little value to manufacturers. The
scarcity Of capital is given as another
cause for the continuance Of dull times
in Virginia, and it is claimed that the
people demand q return to the old state
banking system that they may be enabled
to get loans On real estate. The national
banks are prohibited from loaning money
on real estate, because all human ex>
perience has shown the folly of that kind
of banking. II the Virginians would
scan their present unhappy condition
closely they would probably find that a
powerful cause fer the destruction Of
credit in their state lies in their mean
attempts to repudiate their just debts.
If they showed an honest determination
to pay their bonds as soon as they are
able, they would find it easier to make
loans for business purposes.
From North Carolina the news is very
hopeful. The planters and farmers have
worked their way out of debt generally,
and they look forward with bright anti
cipativns to the near future. The whole
system of farming in the State has been
reyolutionized since the close of the war,
and the blessings Of the change are now
becoming apparent. In the old slave
days the planter only thought of raising
money crops. Cotton and tobacco were
their great staples. Ali their supplies
including corn. bacon and wheat, were
purchased. Now they raise their OWL
supplies, and even o surplus for sale out
side the State. The old.tashioned plan
tations of from 1000 to 5000 acres hav,
been cut up into farms of from 100 tt
| 500 acres. There is less complaint o
want OF capital in this State than in Vir
ginia, The cotton crop is large and 0
excellent quality, and the preparation
making show that large increase in al
kinds of crops may be expected mex
year. The statistics from South Caro-
lima are not 60 full, but the improvement
noted in North Carolina are also visibl
in this State. There is less croakin
about hard times than any year since tn
panic, and collections are comparative
easy. The most cheering feature of th
report is the growing tendency man
tested toward s. diversity Of crops.
The best reports come from Georgis
Alabama and Florida. In all these state
the Improvement has been rapid. I
Georgia, especially, planters and me-
chants have done remarkably well dun
, ing the year. It is true that cotton
cheaper than ever before, but at tt
same time it brings larger return in
the necessaries Of life. Wages are lo'
but they are sufficient to supply Il
needs OF the working classes. Railws
stocks has steadily appreciated in valu
, they showing an increase in transport
ton. The merchants are doing larg
, business and on safer basis than SIM
, the war. A steamship line plying b
tween Savannah and New York h
brought four frst-class vessels, costiI
r 81 600, 900, during the year, and q ne
@ line of steamers has been put on betwet
Savannah and Cuba. A number of il
-, portant branch railways are approachil
completion. Within the year $5OO,O'
has been invested in cotton machiner
0 The progress made is due to numb
a of causes, not the least of which is tt
8 improvement made in their system
s farming by the planters. Smaller farm
2 more cultivation and greater diversit
s of crops have wrought great chang
il In former times the planters only rails
b cotton. They mortgaged the grown
n crops to their factors to buy the nece
o saries and Injuries of life. This ke
them poor always. The repeal of t
n lien laws permitting a farmer to mo-
}. gage his growing crop put an end to Il
! part of the ruinous credit system, al
:, The good effect Is already visible. L
e negroes are fast acquiring small farm
v and are developing an amount of indr
/. try and thrift that is quite astonishi
i to their former masters. A large null
n Der of northern farmers have settled
!. the state since the war, and their SUI
rs rior methods of farming are being copi
Q rapidly. What is true of Georgia
r also true of Alabama and Florida, but
d Il lesser degree. In Louisiana the colt
10 crop is good, and the sugar crop lars
(. but money is very scarce yet. The bu
ness of manufacturing cotton-seed