The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-17
SOUTHERN FARMING
THE CENSUS DISCLoSES SOME
 INTERESTING FACTS.
The Percentage of Income on Capital Invested in Farms of the South Greater Than in Any Other
 Part of the Union.

In a letter to a member of The Char lotte, N. c. Observer stan, MT Georse w. Coffin, Vice President of the Phoenlx National Bank of New York City. ana ex-Deputy Comptroller of the Currency says:
 Looking over a copy of the text of this years report of the Comptroller or the Currency I came across some figures re- lating to values of farming lands and farm products in the various sections or the United States which greatly impress ed me as new evidence of the splendid opportunities for profitable investment of capital to develop the wonderful and va ried resources of the South. immediately tabulated the figures by sections and worked out the percentages in the follow ing form.
 Value of lands, etc., in the farming States in the year 1900:
 Lands, Improvements and buildinKs- Southern States. <, ,ss7. 900. 900; Middle West ern States, $7,s23, ,oo0, 600; Western States. $2,O ,000, 900; Pacific States. $l,13S 100000. Implements and machinery-Southern States, $158, 900; Middle Western States, $2S3 OO0, 900; Western States $102, ,ooO, 900; Pa- clfic States $53. .0OO.0o Total decentralization States, S.- l 734, ,0O0. .o0O Middle Western States, ss.3Ss,- GOO. GOO; Western States, $282, ,0OO,OOO; Pa- cifc States, s13s7. .00o.0
 Farm products for one year-Southern States, $1, ,22S, 900 900; Middle Western States, S, ,s57, ,0O0 600; Western States, $65s, ,ooo, GOO; Pacific States, $274,0o0.oOo.
 Percentage of gross annual income on total investment-Southern States B per cent; Middle Western States 20 per cent; Western States 23 per cent; Pacific States 20 per cent.
 You will see that in the year 1900 while the value of farm products for one year In the three other sections amounted to from 20 to 24 per cent of the total investment in lands buildings, machinery, etc, and | live stock. the percentage in the Southern | States was B per cent, or 10 per cent | greater than the largest percentage of any | other section. These figures, I presume, | the Comptroller got from the census of | 1900 and must be reliable. Such facts and 1 figures must sooner or later attract capi- | tai in vast sums to the development oi the South. for while capital is timid it is | never blind.
 My deep interest in the future welfare
 and prosperity of the South induces me tc
 call your attention to. the figures. The | Comptroller used these figures to support
 his plea for such changes in our currency | system as will best enable our banks tC aid the agricultural sections to develop | their resources and move their huge crop. | to market.
 ''In this currency reform the South Il
 more deeply and vitally interested thar
 any other farming section for while i
 has less banking capital per capita o
 population than any other farming sec
 ton, it must move within a very few
 months its chief crop, cotton, worth witt
 the seed. over $500, 100000. This means { | vast amount of actual cash or currency
 and only through the agency of the bank.
 can such currency be furnished when i
 Is needed Let the South. therefore, joir
 the rest of the country in pressing fol
 currency reform at the present session oi
 Congress and if they are insistent enough | their needs will be supplied.