The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-04-13
WHAT THE SOUTH NEEDS .

turing interests that has ever appeared
in print.
We propose to summarize some OF
the points in his speech. Mr.. Bowser
lays down the proposition that no
people who sell the product of their
labor in the raw material ever become
rich. 1t is equally true that no people
extensively engaged in manufacturing
fail to prosper. The south sells to the
spinner bale of cotton for $40 and
buys it back in finished product tor
$500, profit to the manufacturers OF
500. We sell to the wooden man
ufacturers our wool at 20 cents
pound and purchase it in clothing,
carpets, etc, at 81 pound, profit
of 100 per cent. We purchase from
the north annually millions of dollars
worth of agricultural implements and
machinery, while our iron ore and
timber remain hardly touched. We
sell our lumber at So per 900 and
rcpurchase it in furniture at five or ten
times that figure.
Now, let us see the difference in the
financial status of people in agrlcul-
tural and manufacturing states. The
bank deposits in Massachusetts, are
about $40 per capita, and $500 per
capita in Rhode Island, while in
Texas they are only about sI2 per
capita.
The money of the agricultural states
like Texas drifts to the manufacturing
states of the north. This explains the
difference in the bank deposits. The
southern people cannot expect any
prosperity until manufacturing builds
up towns that will absorb about 50
per cent. of our population. Then we
will have home markets and get good
prices for our products. The nearer
the consumer and producer are
brought together the more profit for
the producer, the less cost to the con-
sumner, and the less profit for the mid
die man and carrier. Mr.. Bowser
says
Diversified industries alone can
solve the problem of overproduction of
cotton.
The remuneratlve wages paid by
these industries will take tens OF
thousands of laborers from the cotton
fields; factories will build up populous
cities, creating home markets for the
food crops that will turn thousands OF
cotton plantations into truck farms
and dairy farms, orchards and vine.
yards, fruit farms and poultry yards,
to be operated at a profit never
dreamed of by the cotton-grower,
stimulating this the most profitable as
we'll as the least laborious and most
pleasant class of farming-a class OF
farming for which our soil and climate
is we'll adapted, but cannot be engaged
in extensively for want of an accepta-
bic market. 1t is true that we ship to
the manufacturing cities of the north
east large quantities of eggs and
poultry, early vegetables and other
food products, but at a minimum
profit, for the reason that more than
halt their value is consumed by
transportation charges.
Next to the farmer the mechanic
and laborer will be benefited most.
have here 4 list of the wages paid
operatives by one of the largest
industries in the United States. In
that list the lowest wages paid is sos
per month, the highest paid is s275
per month, and an average of more
than sI3o per month. The people
of Texas help to pay these wages just
in proportion to the amount of the
product Of their labor used, making a
continual drain upon our resources,
while many of our workmen are idle,
or earning fourth of these wages.
This is just as true of Georgia and
other southern states as it is of Texas.
Our farmers need first class home mar
kets close to their fields, and the only
way to secure them is to stimulate
manufacturing interests until they
build up larger towns and cities where
thousands of we'll paid toilers and their
families will be withdrawn from
agricultural pursuits and turned into
SO many consumers for the products of
the farm. The Texas senator says
that this policy will solve our financial
problem. Undoubtedly it will make
times easier, furnishing more occupa-
tons for labor at good wages and
encouraging farmers to diversity their
crops to meet the demands of the
home markets.
How are we to make this change in
our industrial conditions? The only
way to do it IS to pull together in our
own communities ard put our own
capital into manufacturing enterprises.
When we do this we can with better
grace advertise our resources abroad
and invite outside capital to come in
this direction. Our immigration con-
ventions and societies are we'll enough,
but we need experienced men to con-
troll the matter of immigration, and
we should deluge the north and
Europe with countless tons of PAM
phlets and circulars depicting the
south of to-day and its advantages.
The year of the Worlds Fair under a
Democratic administration is a favor
able time to begin the work. We
have no time to lose. The future of
agriculture depends upon
manufacturing, and we must
have new blood and new capital
Atlanta Constitution.
Mr.. WALTER X. HENRY was in the
city yesterday. He says he thanks his
many friends for their kind words,
expressing regret that he did not get
the Consul Generalship at Rio de
laneiro, to which position Mr.. w. T.
I'0wDpc Of DopvilIa Y, Loe l>oer