The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1907-10-18
SOUTHERN CONDITIONS or WIDESPREAD
kIfRfST.

hiohh E'nNfai survey Oh c0DuitiO1S u
the Southern states is one OF more thar
ordinary interest, not only because o
;, the Importance Of its agriculture to tn,
rest OF the country, but also because o
It's growing industrial influence, III
r steady commercial expansion and 1t,
increasing financial independence.
From the agricultural standpoint the
portion OF tho country south OF the Pc.
d tomac and east of the Mississippi was
% never 30 completely In command of It,
D. self AZ II Is today. Its methods OF farm.
= ing are superior, because they are being
put on n more permanent basis OF pros
pefity than at any earlier stage Of its
history. There IL more money In farm
ing, not only AS an Investment, but also
az an income, and the people are phys
iCally, financially and mentally better
equipped for making more out Of their
opportunities. There Ia a higher de.
gree Of intelligence directing labor and
capital in their application t land than
has probably ever been the case before.
These elements count for permanent
and safe ad yaucemeDt along the lines In
which Southern agriculture has made
its mark, in the growing Of cotton, su-
gar and tobacco AZ main crops, supple-
mehted by other yields which contrib
ute to tho economic independence of
the farm az a business unit, The poo
pie or the land are better housed, bet
ter fod, better clothed and better paid.
Consequently there has boon a remark
able advance In their ability to earn
returns, to utilize labor-saving machIn-
cry, to economic labor and capital, and
to take advantage OF tho conditions of
the market. All these have helped to
add to the sum total Of a rapidly in
creasing earning power,
lndustrially the Southern States, as
manufacturing districts, are 10 a sound
condition, as Is shown by their ability
in the main to linauce themselves. The
extent 10 which tho local investor has
absorbed the capital stock Of new man
ufacturing concerns during the last
several years is tho best evidence of
the capacity TO provide their own re-
sources for the onlarging Of old and the
Inauguration of new projects. This is
especially true in lines in which they
have acquired a substantial range of
experience. Southern manufacturing Of
whatever character Is farthest from
being D forced growth. On the contra
ry, IL has proceeded step by step, train
Ing It's " taIont, and %cultiyating the
interests Of It's own investors until the
whole community has become financially
identified among all classes of people
with their local projects. Under such
circumstances, earning large dividends,
there Is no difficulty in floating addi-
tional stock. Late last year a concern
OF S3,5OO,OOO capital directed its mana
ger to sell a half million more stock,
which he did in 10 days to cash sub
scribers without enlisting the aid Of
any broker or intermediary agent Of any
kind. Similar Instances are not at all
unusual.
Certain industries which are more
closely dependent upon railroad trans
portation than others for handling their
raw materials as well as products have
had to accept some compulsory r~estric-
ton OF operations. Among these the
industry and the lumber trade have
probably suffered most, Commercial
houses dependent On numbering opera
lions have in not a few cases found the
want OF shipping facilities for lumber to :
AZ restriction upon sales, Lumber '
machinery has likewise gone forward !
much less rapidly on this account, and
30 has farm machinery, in fact, market :
complain very widely OF the '
drawbacks of the freight service by !
rail. !
There is nj doubt that the weakest !
in the whole Southern outlook
is found in the present state of railway !
transportation. The South IL not suffer.
Ing half so much from money scarcity, I
from the lack of an unskilled labor sup !
ply, or from any other cause, az il Ia .
rom the practical inability Of the rail- :
roads to handle the rapidly. increasing '
volume of freight, which it has been tho '
good or evil fortune OF the roads them
selves to help To develop too rapidly for .
their W good. The entire section is q
handicapped because in the develop '
nent of its working forces farm and y
'actory have increased their facilities v
20 do business ut Il much more rapid ,
ate than the railroads. The stomach Z
u a boy cannot do the digestive work
or a man. No more q the railroads
II the South with their present facilities
md resources distribute with advantage :,
% themselves or to their patrons the !,
'raIic which comes to them for handling. =
The remedy is not in any one thing. -
tut rather in an attitude of patient CO. 5,
'peration to build up the less developed :.
of economic organization TO a :.
Of adequate efficiency. Ia doing
there must be much less of the dele :.
'ation OF responsibility to subordinates n
more oil the stoadfast attention an :,