The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1892-04-15
THE new SOUTH.
ADDRESS BY THE NATIONAL COM
MISSIONER OF LABOR.
Facts and Figures Presented by Umim-
peachable Authority to Show the Re-
markabls Progress Made in this Sec
ton.

l.
peachable Authority to Show the Re-
markable Progress Made in this Sec
ton.
NASHVILLE, April Hon Carroll D.
Wright, United States Commissioner of
Labor, this evening delivered an address
at Watkins Institute on "The Progress of
the Southern States from 1880 to $780,
in the course Of which he said:
''The Southern States in 1870 produced
but lS4, $40 tons of pig iron, in 1880, $751;
30l net tons, and in 1890, 1,7S0, 909 net
tons of pig iron were produced In steel
the South has made much progress. In
1880 the number of net tons was 1850
and in 1890 1874 ,625. This is most en-
couragng outlook and bespeaks for the
South steel industry in the future Of
which she will be proud. The average
cost Of pig iron in the northern parts Of
the United States is for the run Of the
furnace about $14 per ton Of 2, 240 pounds,
while in the South the average cost Of the
run of the furnace pig iron is $l0'75.
This difference of 1926 in favor of the
Southern product will be increased to a
larger amount as labor in the South i'm
proves it's standard of living and the de-
velopme.it of coal and iron mining and
transportation increases the facilities for
assembling the material. Tennessee pro-
duced 47,S73 tons of pig iron for the year
ending May 81, 1880, while for the year
ending June /, 1890, she produced $780,
TAT tons. Her percentage of total pro-
duction in the United States in 1880 was
La, while in 1880 the percentage has
been increased to 3.04.
The largest cotton crop in the Southern
States prior to the war was in 1860, when
4,669,770 bales were produced. In 1871
it was 4,352,3l9 bales and in 1871 the
production reached $685. bales and
605 O6l bales of the production were con-
sumed in Southern mills as against less
than half that quantity ten years be-
fore.
In 1890 cotton seed oil mills crushed
,05S, 200 tons, the product being worth
$27 $40 1876, an increase in round num-
| bers in ten years of $24 ,OO0,O 600.
The number of cotton mills increased
from 16l in $50 to 334 in 1880 and the
number Of spindes from about 100000 to
nearly 900 600, and the product from Tl6,-
1885, to $54, l99,379.
In 1880 there were 569 establishments
Tor the manufacture Of wool in the South
ern States, while in 1890 there were but
1874. But the decrease in the number in
no way indicates decrease in other
features, for the capital Invested in the
WOODEN factories of the Southern States
was 81, lO4O77 in 1880 and $40 ,2S3,0 O3 in
1890. !,
In 1880 the production of distilled
spirits amounted to 2l,4l3,237 gallons,
and in 1890 to 44,276,O93 gallons, while of
fermented liquors the Southern States
produced in 1880 ,340,O37 barrels and IN
1890 the production was 3,4o2,3o9 BAR
rels.
Between 1880 and 1890 the mileage of
Southern railroads, with the exception Oh
Arkansas, louisiana, Maryland, Missouri
and Texas, was increased from l3,22o
miles to 1886 miles, and the number OF
messengers carried from $780, 0O to 3O,-
06l 900. The number Of passengers car.
ried was increased nearly five foid, and
the amount of freight moved grew from &c,
l7.759,44l tons to Gl,77l ,929 tons. Inc
total earnings and incomes OF southern
railroads were increased from nearly va, :
600 900 in 1880 to more than $lO3,ooo'ooo
in 1890.
GREAT INDUSTRIES,
The CAPITAL invested in the great indus
tries of the South is Represented. ny
banking capital, which in 1851 was ~ 92
500 900 and in 1890 more than 81 IL, oOU'-
OO0' an increase of over sc per cent. The
conital invested in manufactures and es.
refreshments of all kinds was advanced
from Sl7l ,333, 600 in 1880 to $55l sou ,OoO
in 1890. while the total number OF hands
EMPLOYED was more thar doubled eeine
l5s per cent. greater in 1890 than i'll
1880. o.,tho,,
States. including county debts, less the
sinking fund, that is practically the net
total debt, was in 1880 $2i5,7l2.2N. when
in 1890 the indebtedness had been re-
duced to $17s,lel,755: The reduction is
best expressed by figures representing
per t capita Indebtedness, In 1880 the to-
tai net Indebtedness of the Southern
States was $ll.20 for every inhab'tan5;
in 1890 it had been reduced SO that eSch
person was represented by an indebted
ness of sS.OS. The State of tennessee snn aHo
has reduced her total debt from SSS,Ooo'-
600 IN 1880 to less than $2O,ooo.ooo IN
1890, or as expressed in per capita lndeDt,
edness, from $50 in the first year na IN;
to Sl1.l3in the last. aoa
In 1878 the SaNtAeErn States expenaea
ss g97, SEQ for school, purposes, including
buildings, school expenses, salaries, etc.,
but not payments of bonded Indebtedness,
and in 1883, ten years later, sye 1 1a.ai
expenditures reached $l6s0d6ts. rem
nessee alone increased her expenditures nsa Is
during the ten years from $7s4,S52 20
sY,OSS, sos. It's percentage Of oe enrollmen ~
Of the whole population in lssO was 1923
and in 1890 it had risen TO 2o-21 Wna.le e
the whole United States the percentage OF
-. a &J;n fofa1 n0nIlIGtiOn was