The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-03-12

why factories should De lOcated IN
Mississippi that are worthy Of exploit
tation at the hands OF the press OF the
State. The laws are liberal, indeed,
and offer inducements superior to
those of almost every other State In
the Union. Conditions are unusually
favorable and with the proper interest
manifested would no doubt attract the
attention of capitalists in the North
and West and wake up some dormant
capital in our own State. The pres
ence of factories gives employment to
a large class of our people, notably
women and children who cannot make
y living on the farm; has the effect of
Increasing real est;-te values In the
immediate proximity of such indus.
tries; adds much taxable wealth, and,
above ali, gives home market for our
truckers and farmers generally.
Large pay rolls to factory employees
flow into the general channels OF
trade. to merchants, truckers, farm.
ers and. in short, to almost every ave-
nue. of commerce. 1t should be re
membered that monies thus distrib'
uted to employees necessarily comes
from abroad, due to the sale of the
finished product Of the factory, and
hence 1t means an influx of wealth.
The South is today the growing cen
ter of the Union in this particular
line, and why should we not have our
pro rata of these industries that are
coming South? It is because our peo
pie have not taken the matter actively
In hand We are depending too much
on our agriculture, and that fact Is
why we are not better off today. Di
versified industry and the presence OF
factories to consume our raw material
will change matters very much for
our good. Mississippi has an abund
ance of the finest labor in the Union
we are not troubled with lock-outs and
strikes, nor are We troubled with labor
laws as are Northern manufacturers
If these matters are called to the at
tention of capitalists who are seeking
a place for investment, we would re
ceive due proportion of the many
factories that are coming in this direc
ton. Capital is an extremely timid
thing and men are not inclined to put
their all into an industry in foreign
State without local aid and encourage
ment.
An advantage possessed by Missis
sippi over the States further north
and one that Is well worth exploiting
is the difference in the cost of living
The first cost of making home here
is not only less, but it costs less to
support the home and the family than
it does in a country where winter is
the rule and summer only the inter
lude. The three largest items Of ex
pense for every family are, buildings
clothing and food. Individual arti
cles of clothing cost some less here
than in the North, and the total
amount of clothing needed is much
less, and what is needed is less ex
pensive article. The furs, heavy wool
ems and other expensive articles Of
winter clothing are not needed here
and clothing of the cheaper cotton fab
rics is all that is wanted during the
greater part of the year. Undercloth
ing of wool is frequently worn, but the
heavy wraps and double suits worn in
the North are wholly unnecessary
Fuel costs but little and little is need
ed. Carpets are much less essential
to comfort than in the North and are
much less used Parties first coming
here from the North will find theiT
heavy clothing comfortable for the
first winter from the fact that our eli
mate is damper than what they have
been used to, but after one or two
winters they will find no need for sucn
and it will never be replaced. The
same may be said in regard to the cost
of food. Meat, -four, sugar, tea and
coffee cost practically the same here
as in the North, but with our milder
climate we need less of these and use
a larger proportion of vegetables and
fruits, which are grown at home, and
so cost no cash outlay. From the ex
perience of many who have lived in
both places, we are confident that the
expense here for the three items men
toned is not more than two-thirds
what it is in States north of the Ohio
river. With such small expense for
living, with our light taxes and cheaE
labor. this is one of the best places in
the whole country for man Of en-
ergy, pluck and limited means to make
for himself comfortable home.
While the good people of Charles
ton, Tallahatchie county, may not be
pushing" the whole State of Missis
sippi so much, they are pushing Their
town, and that is eommendable. At q
largely attended mass meeting held g
few days since, they decided to. have
railroad connection at any cost and
PUT enthusiastic men to work to gel
the movement under way. The propo
sition is, to tap the Illinois Central
at Oakland with branch road fol-
Charleston. When their movement
takes tangible proportions the Illinois
Central will no doubt come in and
help the matter along. The town
needs this road to make it one of the
best in the State, surrounding condi
tons being favorable to large com
mercial and manufacturing business.
The forests of Mississippi still con
tain large quantities of valuable tim
Der that should be worked into the
finished articles right here at home
Not a particle of 1t should be shipped
out of the State in an unfinished state
. ~ .
For the first time Mississippi is
making a little appropriation to adj
verfise her wonderful resources
abroad. Total appropriations of $50,
900 have been made for the exploiting
of few of our products at the st
Louis fair. This is just four cents pei
head on our population, but we hope
fer the very best results. Our legis
lators have been too stingy with this
subject and attached too little impor
lance to it. There is nothing coming
to us On a silver or gold spoon. We
must go out after ii, and that in q
business way, too, Set-fasts and car
buncles have no place in our makeup
now, and they must be eradicated.
The moneyed men Of our State are
showing their faith in its future great
ness in a most liberal way. They ara
investing literally in enterprises that
consume the crude material and give
employment to labor. Such action or
their part is great encouragement fol
outside capital. No outsider will BIZ
inclined to invest his money when
the home people are holding back and
not showing a substantial interest.
80