The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-10-28
HARVEST WHITE;
LABORERS FEW
Cry for More Workmen Coming
Up From Every Part of
South.
RAILROADS NEEDING MEN
Wonderful Increase OF Tonnage
Of Southern Roads. Necessitat-
ing Vast Facilities.

BALTIMORE, MD. October e-.-Corro-
spondence in this weeks issue of the
Manufacturers Record from Atlanta. Ca.
dwelling upon the extent Of material de
Nelopment now under way IN the South.
describe the widespread scarcity of labor
Lamperins that development II says
Probably the most striking nire-r- -iou
Of the scarcity OF laborers in the South Is
seen in the cotton fields During a trip
OF over a hundred miles through an I'M
uortant cotton region in Georgia and Ala
bama. q very careful count was made OF
the number of c0tton-pickers seen. and
the total was fourteen. when. judging by
the distance travelled and the condition
~ the cotton needing Immediate PICKING
there ought g. have been more nearly
J 40
Another Illustration IS given n the
fact that the proposed exposition in At
ianta. scheduled for 1910. has been aban-
doned. not because Of the inability O. Sc
cure the money. but because It was made
clear 10 the organizers of il that Il would
be- practically impossible 10 secure labor
ers 10 erect the buildings. Every con
tractor in the city is crowded 70 the ut
most TO take care Of regular work every
manufacturing enterprise is likewise
short Of laborers. and the country at
large is SO busy that labOrers could not
De brought in from elsewhere.
This scarcity OF labor Is most pro
nounced in the inability OF railroads 10
carry out much needed improvements
There is scarcely a railroad in the South
that is not swamped with business or
some Of the leading systems it might
almost be said that they are practically
broken down from inability to handle
with any degree of promptness either
passenger or freight traffic. MANY thous-
ands OF cars. many hundreds Of locomo-
Uves and many thousands OF miles Of
double track are needed IL the railroads
Of the South are in any way whatever T.
measure up to the growing business
ahead Of them
80 rapid has been the growth OF the
coal-mining industry Ga the fields %
Southeastern Kentucky. Southwestern
| Virginia and Northeastern Tennessee that
operators are now confronted with the
serious problem OF "A scarcity OF labor.
| Within the past year many miles Of rail-
road have been constructed IA this noun
famous region. numerous undevelopcd
/ coal areas have been opened, and great
| increase in coal tonnage has been regis
| tered Probably 100 new operations have
been started within the past year in the
region centrlng about the meeting n0int
OF these States. and Notwithstanding the
fact that several thousand foreign labor
ers have been brought into the mining
camps the past summer. the supply OF
miners Is still Inadequate
Given q fair supply Of labor the rail-
roads could increase their facilities TO such
an extent as to be able to handle bust
ness. but to do this. not simply millions.
but tens OF millions, possibly some hun
dreds OF millions, must be expended before
the railroads OF the central South can be-
gin TO catch up with the development and
increase Of travel and traffic throughout
that section. Given the same fair SUNNY.
OF labor 1t IS entirely possible for the
South TO Increase the consurnption or
cotton in its own mills 500 600 bales NEXT
year. and steadily expand this Industry,
far more rapidly than II has done during
the past. and with the same fair supply
Of labor the iron trade OF Birmingh ham