The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-12
Conditions In the south.

The progress Of and conditions in the
thirteen southern states including the Vir-
ginias the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida,
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas,
Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee form
the basis of a statistical article in the
current North American Review by Prof
Michael G. Mulhall, the we'll known Eng
lish statistician. These states Prof. Null
hall says cover an area of $4,000 square
miles, and have a population averaging
twenty-five to the square mile, as COM
pared with 40 in the middle states The
population is estimated at %, $4,000, an
increase of $50 per cent. since 1850. The
south contains no less than IS per cent. Of
the negro population of the union or
about $4,000. The southern states are
remarkable for the absence of small cities
and towns, though the urban population
has more than doubled since 1870 II IS now
about !. $4,000, while the rural population
Is about l6,69S.OOO.
The improved area has more than dou-
bled since 1850, consisting now of 1O8, 10000
acres. or sc acres per inhabitant. Ken
lucky and Tennessee are the only two
states that produce enough grain for
home consumption, the other states be-
ing supplied from the west. Texas alone
produces $4,000 tons of meat annually, and
has no rival In this line among the other
states. The cotton crop one-third of
which IL grown in Texas. covers an area
OF 100000 acres. equal to the aggregate
extent of Holland, Belgium and Den
mark. Though the farms of the middle
states are capitalized at about three
times as much on the average as those
In the SOUTH he finds that farming is far
more profitable In the southern states,
the ratio Of the product TO the capital be-
ing about "a per cent. in the south as COM
pared with 10 per cent. in the middle
states. The south produces one-fifth Of
the lumber of the union. or about 900 mill
lion cubic feet per annum. The southern
states possess five OF the eleven seaports
OF the country which have commercial re-
lations OF any note with foreign countries,
but their total clearances do not quite
reach 10000 tons annually. While the
cost OF construction OF the AZ, 500 miles Of
railroad in the south has been COMPARE
lively cheap, he thinks the mileage is to-
tally insufficient for the proper develop
ment OF the south. there being only fifty
three miles to 1000 square miles Of terri
tory. whereas the ratio in the prairie
states Is los miles.
The average wealth per inhabltant. he
says, Is much higher In Texas and Florida
than in any other southern states (which
comedies with the fact that they are the
only states Of the south where the foreign
population is considerable. showing what
influence European settlers have IN the
increase Of wealth" He puts the average
Of wealth in Texas az 1912 per head and In
Florida at 1895 per head. while IN the other
states the average is about $40 per head.
Prof. Mulhall says there b. painful
contrast between the state Of public M
| struction IN the south and the rect OF the
] union one third of the southern popula-
| ton being iliterate or ne whites over
I sen years Old he states the illlteracy Is
| i5.s per cent, while among the blacks
above that age q Is Gi.5. From this Prof.
| Mulhail draws the conclusion. an errono-
Gus one, that the education OF the negroes
/ Us neglected IN The south. The white PEG.
pie Of the south have spent ana are spend
Ing millions Of dollars on the education
| of the blacks. There is probably not a
/ county in che south but has several coli
ored schools al supported boy the taxes
paid by the white people. The condition
of the southern states may be unsatlsfae-
tory IN many respeots. as Prof Muhaii
says and they may not have the proper
facilities Tor their speedy development
but Rome was not built In a day Only a
few years ago the south was left a waste;