The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1908-08-06
TO RESTORE PROSPERITY.
President Finley Makes Sensible Sug-
gestions to Southern People.


D. c., July 81, 1908.
Editor The Herald, Bamberg, S. c.,
Dear Sir: 1t has occurred to me that
it may not be improper for me to adj
dress you and other representative
editors in the Southern states on 9
subject which l believe to be Of great
Importance to the future prosperity
of our section. -
My duties requires me to keep In
touch, as nearly as possible, with
business conditions throughout the
country, and especially in the South
Since the beginning of the business
depression from which the country
is now recovering, have been great
ly impressed with evidence which
has come to me that, while business
all over the United States has been
unfavorably affected, the effects OF
the depression have been felt moat
severely, as general rule, in those
communities the energies Of which
are devoted principally to the producS
| ton of single commodity, or fsAs
few commodities, and that business
has been relatively less affected tn@
those communities in which the pro-
duction is more diversified. have
been impressed especially with theA
fact that the business depression ha1
been relatively less severe in those
Southern localities in which attention.
has been given to the growing Of
fruits and vegetables. There has
been a steady market for these prod
ucts, and, although prices have not
| In some instances been as high aS IN
other seasons, believe they have
generally yielded profits to the grow
ers.
The press of the South has already
accomplished much by advocating
diversifcation Of agriculture ana
manufacturing, and. looking back
over the past twenty-five years, We
can realize that much has been ac4;
complished in this direction. befs:
lieve, however, that the time is esys
pecially opportune for continuing
our efforts in this direction and for;
urging that each Southern comm1yf
Iity shall make the most of the ops
portunities which a revival OF buet-
ness will open up to It,. s Il Il
Nature has favored the South with
practically inexhaustible resources OF
great variety, and the industrt0ueS
and resourceful Southern people have
shown their ability to take up and
carry to success new lines Of induSl'
try. believe, therefore, that yen
will agree with me as to the desiraa
bility of encouraging still greater d.
versifcation of industry In the Dire
ton of utilizing to the fullest EXTENT
| the natural resources Of our section.
Without attempting to enumerxtes
the lines in which progress In tAi1a
direction is possible, / would sugEeEt
that, in many localities, agriculture
prosperity might be advanced by fur
lther diversiflcation of farming, e6peets
ally in the direction Of producing th4:
fruits and vegetables best suited f0ts
each locality; that. live stock and
dairying might profitably receive more
attention in some localities, and that
| in connection with a larger produce
ton of fruits and vegetables, there
are many localities; in which can.
ming and preserving industries might
Iprofitably be carried on more exten-S
sively than at present. n
Industrially, I believe it should bee
the aim of the South to add to the
profits or producing raw matertals
the profits of manufacturing, by con-
vertfng Southern raw materials, ase
far as possible, into articles ready:
for use As indicating what may be-
done along this line, may refer tns
the cotton textile industry. Although
the South has substantial mon0poly
| in the production of the most widely
used textile fibre in the world, some
| of us are old enough to remembeI@
when it was believed in many quar-
ters that cotton manufacturing on -
large scale could not be establisheds
successfully in the South. The South
ern people first demonstrated their
ability to make the coarser grades
of cotton fabrics, and they are now
demonstrating their ability to make:
the finer grades as well and to bleach
and finish the product Of their mills
think we may look forward with
confidence tothe further deveIopment
of this great industry and Of indus
tries depending upon it, such as the
manufacture of cotton goods into arr
ticles of clothing ready for wear.
I might enumerate long list OF
opportunities for the further develop
ment of manufacturing. 1t would fn-
clude the conversion, on q larger
scale, of Southern-made leather into
boots and shoes, harness and betting
| in Southern factories; and the cCn-s
version Of the products Of Southern
forests and mines into a long list o.
articles ready for use. I have said
enough, however, to suggest to you
the point I wish to make, which tsSs
that 1 believe that all of us who have.
the prosperity of the South at heart
should do all in our power to eneouf-
age the diversification of Southern
Industry and the conversion in South
ern factories of Southern products tn-S
to articles ready for use rather than;
their shipment to other sections In
the form of raw materials or OF part
lily manufactured commodities.
need not assure you Of my great tn-%
terest in every movement for the ad-32
l-o,oo,aapf af q Southern c0mmnnitY.s