The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-11
FINLEY WRITES ON
GROWTH OF SOUTH
Southern's New President
Praises His Territory
CROPS ARE INTERNATIONAL
No other Area of Equal Size on Any
Continent Has Greater Diversity
of Natural Resources Than
the Beautiful Southland.

". w. Finley president of the Southern
railway, has written a carefully pre-
pared article on the conspicuous indus
trial growth of the new south and 1t
was published in the annual financial
review of the New York Times. The ar
ticle is interesting to the general reader
as this is the first statement of the kind
that Mr.. Finley has made since he sue
ceeded the late Samuel Spencer as presi-
dent of the Southern. 1t Is as follows:
One of the most interesting stories of
today is that of American Industrial
commercial and agricultural expansion.
The decade closing with 1906 was the
most remarkable in American history. In
the ten years the republic emerged full
fedged a world power In this de-
velopment the south was most conspic-
uous. The farms of the southern states
during this remarkable period gave the
country its balance of trade with foreign
lands. Cotton was the largest single ar
ticle in the list of agricultural exports
and a majority of it came from the states
trayersed by the Southern railway and
its allied lines.
The Southern railway, like other lines
of the country, was taxed to the limit
in taking care of traffic. The growth of
business exceeded the anticipation and
mist. To have followed the dictates of
the oversanguine might have proved dis
astrous hence the untitled requirements
of the factory, store and railway. To
overreach and overdo is never a safe
business proposition The Southern rail-
way was engaged in local betterments,
and in anticipation of natural increase
had orders placed for additional equip
ment, but the call for skilled worl1men
and laborers became so widespread and
inslstent in new directions that old-es-
tablished enterprises, including the rail-
ways, were put to distress to meet de-
mands.
Staples Are international.
The main territory traversed by the
Southern railway system-south of the
Potomac and Ohio, and east of the Mis-
sisslppi-eomprising about u per cent or
the continental area of the union-con-
tributed more of the fruits of agricul-
ture to world use than any other equal
area on the face of the earth. The sta
Piles of this southern region have thus
become International. rather than national
and sectional They enter into the neces-
stiles of more people than those from
the other sections of the planet. or the
eight important American exports four
are almost solely produced in the south.
and these four-cotton, tobacco, oil cake
and meal, and vegetable oll-contribute
% per cent of the entire farm surplus
of the American republic. coming as
already stated, from II per cent of the
country's area.
The year 1906 is one of an even dozen
in the history of the Southern railway
each a year of increased growth as well
as responsibility. for not only has the
road more than doubled its length. and
earnings as well operating expenses
increased in proportion, but new prob
lens present themselves for solution.
Originally an agricultural line, it is now
an Industrial one. for the Industrial
growth of the south in the past decade
had no equal in any other geographical
division of the United States.
Multiplicity of Crops.
! The relation the south sustains agricul-
turally to the people of the world is fully
established. For years it was regarded
as one-crop country, but within the
decade it has risen to a commanding
place in various ways and in combination
with it's former great staple-and still
staple-it has multiplicity of farm crops
which now participate in supplying north
ern and foreign markets.
| Corresponding with this marvellous ag-
rcultural growth has been the industrial
| development an attainment that has a
| most substantial basis. No other region
of equal size on any continent has greater
| diversity and extent of natural resources
| in deposits of coal, iron ore structural
materials, and of rare and economic min
erals, combined with forests of merchant
able timber and unrlvaled water powers
The increase in capital In southern
manufacturers in the five year period end
| ing with 1905 was 60 per cent compared
| with 40 per cent in the whole country
while the increase In products was a
per cent compared with 30 per cent in
the country at large. Reports to the
land and industrial department of the
company show that 119S new industries
were located in territory covered by
! Southern railway and Mobile & Ohio
railroad during the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1906. and there was no diminu-
ton of activity for the last half of the
| year.