Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1900-10-20
INDUSTRIAL CONVENTION.

The managers of the Southern Indus
trial Convention, and especially the
energetic Secretary of that organiza-
ton, Mr.. Thompson, are IndustriousIY
flooding the newspaper offices with
literature concerning the semi-annual
session of the convention, which will be
held1n New Orleans Dec. 40 next. The
Mayor of New Orleans, the Governor
of Louisiana and the press and people
of the Crescent City are also dong ser
vice IN acquainting the country with
the importance of the gathering. The
Governors of the several Southern
States, the State Superintendent of
Education, the State Commissioners of
Agriculture, the Mayors of the cities of
the South and many other distinguish
ed men interested in the industrial up
building of this section have been in
vited. The convention will doubtless
bring together a fine body of men, and
should result in good to the South if
practical ideas are advanced and COM
prehensive grasp of the many questions
now crowding to the front is exhibited
by those who attend. Intelligently
handled, the convention can do much
toward arousing the latent energies of
the Southern people and pointing the
way TO industrial greatness, but it will
have to choke off long and tiresome
addresses, filed with an abundance of
words, but conspicuous for a paucity of
ideas.
The South has been the scene of sew
eraI conventions of an industrial chara-
ter within the past few years. Anew zeal
GUS men attended and devoted most of
their time to making speeches, which
never brought another dollar of capital
to its doors or convinced home capital
lists of the wisdom of embarking in new
enterprises There have been some able
men at these gatherings-no one will
gainsay it-but more often the theorists
held the floor while these took back
seat.
The coming convention proposes to
consider the Nicaragua Canal and the
benefits to accrue to the South from its
construction. This is a good field.
It should also collect all the data posi-
BILE about the proposed Warrior Canal
and demonstrate its worth or useless
of constructing it. It may proftably
consider the important question of the
improvement of Southern waterways,
tell how much money has been ex-
pended on streams of like character
i'll other parts of the country 1t might
also take up the question of taxation in
the South and see wherein Anticipated
laws on this and kindred subjects are
retarding its growth,
Politics and politicians have had
the swing IN the South for so many
years that in many instances they
have let the material interests of
the country go to the bow-wows IN
order that they might further their
own selfish schemes. As a result
many laws have been placed up the
books which are handicap to indus
trial Improvement. These should be
pointed out and the people aroused to
the Importance of changing them.
Let the light by turned on these de-
fects that idle capital may the more
confidently emerge from its hiding
place.
There are a score of questions bear
ing on the industrial growth of the
South which could profitably engage
the time of the convention, and, if
the very best material is selected as
delegates, something beneficial may
come of the gathering, The doc
trinaries and cranks, however, must be
given wide berth If anything tangi-
BILE Is to be the result.