The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-05
THE NEEDS OF THE SOUTH
Practical Men to Manage Industries
a Grave Necessity.
Has Untold Resources and Practi-
enIiy Unlimited Capital Mt Com
m"nd-Fornaer assistant Secretary
of Agriculture Dabney Points
out the Progress to BE Expected.

BALTIMORE. Nd, Jan. Progress
made by the South in cotton manufactur-
ing during he past ten years is likely to
be duplicated during the next ten years
if certain conditions are met. The cut
look in this direction is discussed at
length in this weeks issue of the Manu-
facturers' Record by Dr. Charles W
Dabney, formerly Assistant Secretary of
Agriculture. now President of the Uni
versity of Tennessee. and recognized as
an authority in most matters affecting
the industrial and agricultural advance
of the South.
In his paper he contends that undue
weight should not be given natural re-
sources. but that the people who must
convert them into wealth must also be
considered. Among the natural re-
sources he reckons the soils and climate
of the South, the best in the world for
the growing of cotton: its water lower
from rivers running eastward, southwark.
and westward from the Appalachian
Mountains TO be used directly or through
electric transmission; abundant coal from
Al 600 miles of workable fields, OF when
less than 1000 square miles have Eeen
developed up TO the present time, anu IN
equabIe climate IN which are the desired
conditions for the most refined kinds OF
cotton manufacturing He finds t1at to
these natural resources must be added
an intelligent and @asonably cheap labor,
largely made up Of ycung people. and On
that point says:
1T is well known that the white peo-
pie of the Piedmont section OF the South
form an excellent manufacturing popu-
au TrraTEitgpnt
and kindly race. who learn rapidly 20 be
skilled mechanics With proper training
they make as expert artisans as can be
found any where There Is less opPortu-
nifty for unions among this domestic pop
ulat:0n These mills are owned largely
by local people and modified cO-opera-
ton promises 10 keep cut the vicious
walking delegate and ali his kind
The negro has not been much used
in the mill so far. but there IS little
doubt that he will be employed in par
ticular mills, or in those lines Of manu-
facture which require cheaper labor
with less ability to think The negro
is by nature an initiative creature and
rapidly learns any process that Is SHOWN
him. He is peacsable, and rarely strikes
or makes any disturbance He IS thus
well adapted 70 all those forms CT manu-
facture that 90 not require originality
or forerhought-
The only thing that We need IN the
South for an almost indefinite expan-
sion OF cotton manufacturing IS more
capital and more technical experts, both
in the business and in the nhanufactur-
ing departments The capital will be
Forthcoming. as it always is as soon as
the men are found to take care OF it and
use IL The Southern people are getting
richer every year, and viii undoubtedly
invest their spare means IN cotton mills
as fast as accumula tes-
The grea need of The South today is
men to organize and conduct the business
of manufacturing, but especially men who
know how to build and operate the cot
ton mills themselves. The movement
for technical education. and especially
that for textile schools. IS going to sup
ply these experts at an early time Our
conclusion. then. is that the only thing
we need n order to operate many more
cotton mills in the South is more educa-
ton tor the masses of the people from
whom the IabOreFs will be drawn, and
more technical training for the young
men ggho are 10 build and operate The
mills.
All these things are surely coming.
and they viii batckeE the pFodiglous de-
yelopment OF cotton manufacturing dur
ing The next ten years
more tban 66 Der cent Of all the cotton
consumed in the world and manufacture
about per cent of it. while the North
ern States manufacture about u per cent
with China and Africa both opened To
our trade. with the canal cut between the
Atlantic and the Pacific. I prOpbe5y that
in ten years the Southern States viii
have trebied the uumLer of their spin
dies, and will be manufacturing at least
% per cent of the cotton IN the world,
which by that time VIII be at least 90
geo 00G bales
The South manufactured about 1.5G0.-
C08 bales last year; this means. allowing
for Improvement IN machinery that she
must prepare TO manufacture 5,G6e eco
DaIes-half her present cEop-by 1910.
when she viii probably be growing at
least - Geo 0G0- When we consider her
past progress and her magnificent re-
sources n connection with the opening
Up OF the East and the general advance
ment OF civilization. We cannot expect
any less