Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-11
Delegates to Convention Tell of Re-
sources Of the South.
some IN TERESFING STATISTICS
Southern Industrial Association
Meets in Philadelphia Today.
WELCOMED TO QUAKER CITY

| PHILADELPHIA. June 1.-THE annual
| convention of the Southern Industrial As
scciation was formally opened in Horticul-
tural Hall at 10 o'clock this morning and
| will continue in session until Friday. Fine
weather greeted the delegates and the visit
| ors from the south were given a fair idea
of northern hospitality in the warm and
! hearty welcome Of the citizens.
Office buildings and business houses in
! the center of the city are gay with bunt-
ing and flags. and AT night brilliant cleo
| trical display will greet the members of
| the association from all sides of the city
| hall.
Preparations for the convention have
been in progress for several months, and
no effort has been spared to make the
gathering a success.
The Southern Industrial Association is
composed of numerous commercial bodies
and is regarded as one of the most i'm
portant organizations in the United States.
This years convention is held In this city
with the object principally of giving a
wider knowledge of the souths resources
and to discuss measures looking to the
welding of the interests of ihe north and
south.
III. III. HargrOve Presides.
The convention was called to order by
President II. II. Hargrove of the associa-
ton, several hundred delegates being in
attendance. Bishop Cyrus ID. Foss of this
city offered the opening prayer. Governor
William A. Stone of Pennsylvania aroused
the enthusiasm Of the delegates in his ad-
dress of welcome by frequent reference TO
the splendid resources of the south. Gov
ernor Stone said, in part:
There never was but one period in our
history when We were not glad to see the
representatives of the south. We hope to
make our relations more neighborly. We
want to trade with you. We realize the
south is the greatest mission field for COM
merce in the world We recognize that
commerce is inspired by the hope of profit
and not sentiment. The south produces
two-thrds of all the cotton in the world
and makes very little of the finished prod
uct
IF We can make steel products and tin
plate in this city and undersell Wales you
can make cotton products and undersen
England What the south needs is not car
pet baggers, but carpet bags fun Of capt.
tai We make many things you need and
to each other. We do not care who has
the balance of trade. We are one people,
speaking one language under one flag
Address by Mayor ashbridge.
A felicitous address of welcome was made
by Mayor Samuel II. Ashbridge during
which he presented President Hargrove
with the keys of the city. John II. Con-
verse, president Of the Baldwin locomotive
works, and Attorney John F. Lewis well
coined the delegates in behalf OF the COM
mercial organizations of the city.
In responding to the address Of welcome
President Hargrove spoke of the resources
of the southern states
The southern states" said Mr. Har-
grove, contain ore-fourth of the area OF
the Union, and the territory has practically
as great an agricultural production as the
remainder of the country combined.
Its capacity in raw material is almost
beyond measurement. This section has 33
per cent of the population of the United
States. 1t raises all of its cotton and cot
ton seed and American rice; 80 per cent of
its tobacco: contains 65 per cent of its TIM
ber resources: 30 per cent of its coal area;
20 per cent Of its coal production; produces
l112 per Gent of its iron, and furnishes ~
per cent of the American pig iron exported:
is the third largest cane sugar producing
section of the world; contains more coast
and river frontage than all the other
states; has 30 per cent of railroad mileage
and affords the cheapest lumber building
material, lands. cotton, coal and oil and
living in the United States"
In concluding President Hargroye said
the south possesses everything except ade-
quate population and finance to forge that
section ahead Of the rest of the world.