The weekly herald. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 1906-19??, 1907-12-05
THE souTHs INDEPENDENCE.

There are two ways for the cities
OF the South, the newer parts OF It
particularly, 10 become great--make
finished products and develop the
best means OF transportation Such
was the contention OF President Fin
ley OF the Southern railway in an
address before the Greater Charlotte
On. CO. club. lie devoted the better
part OF his address 30 the opportu-
miles for prosperity that we're offer
ed to the South and dwelt upon the
advantage to the country OF manu-
featuring It's own product rather than
sending It's raw material away from
home. He said that this applied not
only to the cotton Industry, which
the South was already beginning 10
understand to the extent that II was
now rlyaling New England, but TO the
lumber iron and every other branch
OF wealth.
you are all familiar with the
growth OF the southern cotton manu-
featuring industry but unless you
have taken time 70 analyie the sta
tistlcs some OF you may not realize
the rapidly Of this growth and It's
economic significance" said the
speaker, "a read that within 100
miles OF Charlotte there are 800 cot
ton mills, with total OF 4,765,0O0
spindles. DO YOU realize that this
means that within a circle OF 200
miles in diameter, with Charlotte as
center, there are today more than
eight times as many spindles as there
were In Tao whole south In 1880 and
nearly AGO. 900 more than there we're
in the whole south as recently as
1900? In 1880 the mills OF the cot
ton-producing states consumed but
1SS,74s bales OF cotton or only 3.2
per cont OF that years crop OF $780,
359 bales. In the year ended Aug.
81, 1907, they consumed 2,4l0,993
bales, equal to 1871 per cent OF the
crop OF 1906 OF 1896, 1896 bales. In
each of the last three years the cot
ton-producing states have consumed
more cotton than New England. the
excess OF the South In the last year
being 3S763S bales. In the twenty
seven years since 1880 the consump-
ton OF the southern mills has in
creased 1l76 per cent, while the con-
sumption OF TIE New England mills
has increased but SO per cent"
This is good reading for residents
Of Texas cities as well as for the pro-
ducers OF raw material and food
products the South over. The two
lines to be developed In Texas, even
as our only means of telf-defense, are
manufacturing and transportation
the very Hines which some misguided
men in frenzied politics appear
most eager to hinder and discourage.
The multiplication OF factories in
Charlotte means increased profits 10
the farmers in all this region. The
growth OF a manufacturing commun-
ity In a cotton state gives to the
farmer not only better price for his
cotton but creates home market for
a large proportion OF the products of
the farm"
The other requisite Is Transports
ton. Transportation makes possible
the specialization Of effort and en-
ables the energies Of each commun-
ity to be devoted principally to the
production OF those things that can
best be produced in that locality,
while securing from other localities
the necessaries and luxuries which
could be produced locally, II at all.
only with much greater difficulty. In
all countries and in all ages, improv-
ed means OF transportation have
brought about greater material pros
perity and higher civilization"
said Mr. Finley, transportation
must ever in the future continue to
be as important an element in human
affairs as Il has been in the past. It's
relation to the development of pros
perity and civilization is based on
certain automatic economic principles
which are so clear that no amount OF
elaboration can add to the force of
their bare statement. The fisS. OF
these u.s. that adequacy of transpor-
tation is essential to the progress OF
any community. The second is, that
a community can attain the fullest
measure OF prosperity only when the
agencies on which It must depend for
transportation are able to increase
the facilities so as to keep pace with /
the increasing demand for their SER
vice. The third is, that transport
tatlon agency can prosper only as a
result Of the prosperity OF the COM