Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1904-01-11
HESOUTH'S WEALTH
Notable Increase Shown During The
Past Pear
A STEADY INFLUX OF CAPITAL
The Remarkable Gain in Diversified
Agriculture Notable-The Increase
in the Taxable Value of Property
40 Per Cent-As Great as the In.
crease in the Proceeding 20 Years.

Baltimore, Md, Specialize Man
ufacturers' Record presents this week
the approximate figures of the assess
ed valuation of the property in all the
Southern States at the beginning of
1905, publishing a table showing by
States a total assessed valuation of
s4,510,925,237 in 1890, of S., 266, 594, O44
in 1900 and Of $3.50, 697, S13 in 1904.
Commenting upon these figures The
Manufacturers Record says:
These figures, subject in part to re,
vision-and, it is believed in the case
Of two or three States, several million
dollars below what will be shown by
the final returns on assessed values
indicate the remarkable advance in
material wealth in the South between
1900 aud 1904. During that period, as
shown by these figures, there was a
gain OF more than $3.50, 0OO, 900, or at an
average rate of $3.50, OO0, 900 a year.
The magnitude of this increase is
strlklngly illustrated when compared
with the progress in the decade be-
tween 1890 and 1900. when the total
increase in assessed valuation was
S755,OOO,OOO, or at the rate of SIS. OOO,-
600 a year. 1t wa during that decade
that the price Of cotton fell to it's low
est point since the war, but during the
last four years there was a steady adj
ance to the exaggerated speculative
value of the early part of last year
It may not be possible to connect with
exactness the increase in the price OF
cotton and the enhancement in the as
sessed values of property in the South
but that higher prices do have a ma
terial bearing upon the prosperity,
goes without question.
I'm studying this question, however,
it should be borne in mind that during
that last few years the increase in
diversified agriculture in the South
has been almost as marked as the in
crease in the value of cotton, and adj
ded to this is the really wonderful in
dustrlal development. The remarkable
change from the low price of cotton Of
six or seven "a ago is hardly more
striking than is the increase in the pro-
ductlon of grain, fruits, vegetables
and other farm products. The total
increase in the assessed value of prop
erty in the South in the 20-year per-
lod from 1880 to 1900 was $3.50, OOO.-
600: or, in other words, in the last four
years the gain in the taxable value in
the South has been 40 por cent. as
great as the total gain of The proceed
ing 20 years.
Bearing Of the increase in the as
sessed value OF property, The Manu-
facturers' Record gives in detail statis-
Tics showing the great development of
dlVersl1led farming in the South, which
in connection with industrial develop
ment has been a potent factor in the
enrichment of that section. and says:
BY reason of the short crop and
high prices of cotton in 1903 and the
large crop Inc lower prices in 1904,
the worlds attention has been so close
ly centered pon cotton that the re-
markable development in diversified
agriculture throughout the South. now
one OF the most marked features of
southern farming operations, has been
TO a considerable extent overlooked.
IN l5v3 the South produced such an
exceptionally large grain crop that it.
was hardly to be expected that there
would be a further increase in 1904.
although there is practically no limit
TO the South's capabilities in the de-
velopment of diversified farming. In
1903 the production of corn showed an
increase of 1873, 600, 900 bushels over
1903. The aggregate production Of
corn in the South for the last two
years was 1900, 900, 900 bushels,
against 900, 900, 900 bushels for the two
proceeding years, an increase in two
years OF nearly 400, 000, 900 bushels.
The total value Of the corn crop of
The last two years was $720, 600, 900
against 1855, 000, 900 for the two pre-
ceedlng years, or a difference in favor
OF the last two ears of 1854, 900, 900,
which was added to the wealth OF the
South by the increase in corn alone.
Ihere was no material difference in
the wheat production bpt the higher
prices OF wheat in 1904 made a differ
ence of nearly SIS, 000, 900 to the South
as compared with the wheat crop of
1913 and a difference of $31, 900, 900 as
compared with the wheat crop of 1902.
Inc total value of corn, wheat, oates,
irish potatoes, ryo and hay produced
III the South last year was $542, 900, 900
a gain of $36,000,00 compared with
1908 and of $40, 600, 900 compared with
1902. Outside of these crops and of
cotton, the value of other farm pro-
ducts, including rice, sugar, tobacco,
sweet potatoes. vegetables, fruits and
i've stock products, was about $780,
100000, or a total value of Southern
agriculture outside Of cotton in 1904
Of about $1,092, 900, 900. The aggregate
grain production in the South last
veal was 100000, 600 bushels, against
GOT 900, 900 bushels in 1902.
Rahaaninn liz lahnta Hn-n