The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1905-01-12
THE SOUTH'S WEALTH
Notable Increase shewa During The
Past Pear
A STEADY INFLUX OF CAPITAL
The Remarkable Gain in Diversified
Agriculture Notsble-The Increase
In the Taxable Value Of Property
20 Per cent-As Great as the In
crease in the Preceding 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.s25 ,2s7 in 1890, of s5,266,5s4.oi4
in 1900 and of 1916. SCI, sl3 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 and 1904. During that period, as
shown by these figures, there was a
gain of more than $3.50, 000, 900, or at an
| average rate OF $230,O0o.OOO a year.
| The magnitude of this increase is
| strikingly Illustrated when compared
| with the progress in the decade be-
! tween 1890 and 1900, when the total
! increase IN assessed valuation was
! s755, 900 900, or at the rate of $4,000
| 900 year. 1t was during that decade
| that the price of cotton fell TO its low
| est point since TIE var, but during the
| last four years there was steady adj
vance to the exaggerated speculative
value OF the early part of last year
II 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 ma,
| terial bearing upon the prosperity,
| goes without question
In 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 ad-
ded to this is the really wonderful in
dustrial development. The remarkable
change from the low price Of cotton of
six or seven years ago is hardly more
striking than is the increase in the pro.
! ductiOn OF grain, fruits. vegetables
! and other farm products. The total
increase III the assessed value of prop
erty in the South In the 20-year per
iod from 1880 TO 1900 was $3.50, 900
600; or, i'll other words, in the last four
years the gain in the taxable value in
the South has been 40 per cent as
great as the total gain of the proceed.
ing 20 years.
Rearing on the increase in the as
sessed value Of property, The Manu-
facturers' Record gives in detail stats
tics showing the great development of
diversified farming in the South, which
in connection with Industrial develop
ment has been potent factor in the
q enrichment of that section and says:
by reason of the short crop and
high prices Of cotton in 1903 and the
large crop and lower prices in 1904,
the worlds attention has been SO close.
ly conferred upon 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 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 s further increase in 1904
although there is practically no limit
to the South capabilities in the de-
velopment OF diversified farming. In
1903 the production. Of corn showed an
increase OF. 13S,O00,o00 bushels over
| l9nS Tho ~
corn in the South for the last two
years was 1,300,0OO,eOO bushels
against 900,000,000 bushels for the two
preceding years, an increase in two
years of nearly 100000 bushels
The total value of the corn crop OF
the last two years was $4,000 ,0OC
against $566,000,0 600 for the two pre-
ceeding years, or difference in favor
OF the last two years of 1854, 600 900
which was added to the wealth of the
South by the increase in corn alone
There was no material difference in
the wheat production bpt the higher
prices of wheat in 1904 made differ
ence OF nearly SIS, 900, 200 to the South
as compared with the wheat crop OF
1903 and a difference of S31 900 900 as
compared with the wheat crop of 1902
The total value of corn, wheat. oates
irish potatoes, rye and hay produced
in the South last year was S542 900, 0O(
gain of 100000 compared witt
1903 and of $140, 900 900 compared with
1902. Outside of these crops and o.
cotton, the value Of other farm pro
ducts, including rice. sugar, tobacco
sweet potatoes. vegetables. fruits anl
live stock products, was about $3.50,
100000. or total value of Southern
agriculture outside of cotton in 1870.
of about 81 ,092, 100000. The aggregat,
grain production in the South las
year was 7S0,000,00 bushels, agains
607 800 900 bushels in 1902