The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1906-03-29

Mississippi resources to the amount
of multiplied millions Of dollars in
the shape of timber has been shipped
away in the crude and unfinished state
to be manufactured In other sections
of the country. Our cotton crop to
the amount of seventy or more million
dollars per annum is nearly all ship
ped away in the bale to be made into
goods in New England and the north
in general. These two items alone
have lost to the state an amount al
most beyond conception, because the
manufacturing was not done here at
home. Magnificent oak lumber that
brought the Mississippi mill man not
more than $40 per thousand feet is
sent north and cut into thin veneers
and glued to furniture and shipped
back here for use at price doubled
more than ten times. One thousand
feet Of inch board cut into veneers
will make $4,000 feet and the price
doubles IN proportion. The man who
cuts thf1 humber into thin slices and
faces furniture with It gets more than
$500 per thousand feet while the Mis-
sissippi mill man only gets 500 for
the same material The increase in
price on cotton is even greater. Pres.
Clarke Of the Cotton Association for
chilly illustrates this fact in his talk
to the farmers. He commences by stat
ing that the Mississippi farmer raises
bale Of cotton and sells it for ten
cents per pound, bringing him $50.
The Fall River spinner converts it
into print cloths and gets % cents
per pound, or $125 per bale. The Hol-
yoke thread manufacturer spins it
into threads and receives So per pound
or ST 500 per bale. The lace manufac-
turer weaves it into lace, some of
which IS worth $500 per pound or 500
900 per bale. All Of this increase in
price received by the manufacturer
is lost to the people Of Mississippi,
the producer and largely the consum-
er. If the cotton crop of Mississippi
is worth to our people something like
$75,000,00O per annum, it is worth full
ly $750,OO0,O00 to the spianers Of New
England.
What would be the condition Of our
state today if this enormous amount
of money now being paid spinners was
all made and spent here at home? It
would no doubt be revelation to even
the most optomistic. Then is the pro-
position Of Senator Yarbrough to en-
courage cotton manufacturing a wild
scheme or vain suggestion9 While
the plan proposed may not be exact
ly practicable and easy Of adoption,
yet it is evidently along the right
line and may result in Investigations
that will evolve a practicable and east
ly adopted plan to manufacture our
cotton at home. Speed the day when
our own people may be able to reap
the benefits due them for their toll
and the products Of the same. We have
been hewers of stone and drawers
Of water for our brethren of the north
and east long enough. We now have
the capital and have always had the
brains and energy to conduct the bus
mess of a great country. Let's do it
from the present on.
- ....s.s7,'4ss
An evidence Of the prosperity of
Mississippi will be found in largely
increased assessment Of the real estate
which is now under way. While there
has been strong upward tendency
In all lines, nothing has increased in
price and demand like lands. Then
too, the holdings Of foreign concerns
that have in the past escaped their
just portion of taxation, will be raised
to something like surrounding proper
ty is assessed. Tnis is nothing but
fair and should be done. The foreign
holder who is merely specializing
should be made to bear his part Of the
expense which goes to increase the
price Of his investments.
Prof. Lloyd, Of the A. & M. College
recently gave out the following re-
suits of experiments with cotton
plants to determine the distance be-
tween plants and rows giving the lar
gest yield. The largest yield in Mis-
sissippi was for plants four feet be-
tween rows and eighteen inches be-
tween plants; in Georgia the best
results were obtained with rows four
feet apart and twelve inches between
plants while in Alabama the best was
from three and one-half foot rows
and eighteen inches between plants.
Prof. Lloyd argues for wider rows and
loser plants, offering the saving in
cultivation as one point in favor Of
the system. His contention is well
founded, especially with reference to