The Washington times., 1908-09-08
Urges Them to Advocate
Vide Diversity of
Agriculture.
POINTS OUT NEEDS
EXISTING IN SOUTH
Southern's President Enumerates
Opportunities for Development
of Manufacturing.

President W. W. Finley OF the South
ern Railway Company, has written 10
the newspapers of the Southern States,
In the general upbuilding and advance
in the geenTal upbuildug and advance
ment OF the South. through advocat-
Ing diversity of manufactures and ag-
Ticulure.
Mr.. Finley calls attention to the fact
that the greatest depression and the
slowest recovery are always IN the To-
cahty where one crop is raised and
where manufacturing is confined TO
one kind of product.
Just such edvice as given by the
railroad official has already changed
conditions in the South very materially.
Time was when there wasn't a cotton
goous manufacturing plant in the
South, ana in comparatively recent
years their number was depressingly
small Flour mills in the North sought
proximity 10 the wheat fields. Corn
meal ana 0at meal factories to the
cities near the great crop producing
CenJers, but stiI the cotton of the
Fbouth crossed the ocean or moved up 10
tht mills of New England.
" recent years cotton goods manu-
featuring establishments are springing
up all over the South, and this prodHc-
Ton has been source of much pros
peI1ty to her people. Iron mills were
erected near her mines and sugar re-
tLHtIlea near the cane fields, but agTi-
-cuiLurally the South has been backward,
Finley's Letter.
Mr., Finley's letter is as follows.
1T has occurred to me that il may not
tbe improper for me 10 address you ami
Tother representative editors in the South
efn states on subject which i believe
20 be or great Importance TO the future
prosperity of our section.
NY QuileS require Egpn In
touch, as nearly as possible, with husi-
ness conditions throughout the country,
Slla especially II the South. Since the
beglnnlng OF the business depression
from which the country is ROW recover
ing, / nave been greatly impressed with
evidence which has come to me that
whlle business all over the United
States has been unfayorabIv a0rCtsT-
the effects Of the depression have been
lelL most severely as q general rule in
nose communities the energies of which
'are devoted principally to the pr0duc-
tOn or q single commodity or of 4 ft-sr
commodities and that business has been
relatively less affected M those comInu-
mites IN which production is more di-
II have beer impressed especially
with the fact that the business deDres-
son has been relatively less severe ia
SpuJhern localities in which attention
has been given TO the growing Of fruits
'sIld vegetables. There has been a steady
market for these produces and al
stances been as high as in other sea-
sons, / believe they have beneralIy
yielded profits to the growers.
Ihe press of the South has already
accomplished much by advocating di-
NefslHcauon of agriculture and manu-
.1acturmg. anu looking back over the
past twenty-five years, we can realize
Tnat much has been accomplished in
this direction. I believe. however, thai
The time is especially OppOrtune for con-
Iiuulng our efforts ia his direction and
munity shall make the most OF the OPP
u9rtunities which a revival of business
VIII open up TO IT,
What Nature Has Done.
Mature has favored the South with
practically ineXhaustibIe resources of
great variety, and the industries and
FesoUrceful Southern people have shown
their ability 10 take up and carry new
lines 10 success. I believe, therefore,
that you will agree with me as to the
desirability of encouraging stfH greater
-uiversihCatOn of Industry I'm the direc-
tiOn Of utilizing to the fullest extent
the natural resources of our section.
Without attempting 10 enumerate the
lines in which progress In this direction
Is possible I would suggest that. in
many localities, agricultural prosperity
imight be advanced by further diversi1-
cation of farming, especially in the di-
rection of producing the fruits and
vegetable best suited for each local
ftty, that live stock and ddiryiug might
Iprohtably receive more attention in
|some localities, and that, in connection
with a larger production Of fruits and
vegetables there are many localities in
which canning and preserving indus
tries might pTofitably be carried on
more extensively than az present.
"Industrially, / believe it should be
the aim of the south TO add 10 the
profits Of manufacturing, by converting
Southern raw materials. rs far as Dos
sible, into articles ready for use. AS
Indicating what may be done along this
line, l may refer TO the cotton textile
industry. Although the South has q
Substantial monopoly in the production
.of the most widely used textile fiber I'm
The world. some OF MS are Old enough "a
remember when IL was believed i'm many
quarters that cotton manufacturing on
& large scale could not be established
successfully ia the South.
Have "Made Good"
'The Southern people first demonstrated
their ability to make the coarser grades
7of cotton fabrics. and they are now dem
onstrating their ability TO make the
inner grades as well and TO bleach and
Tnish the products of thel- mills
think We may look forward with con
aidence to TIE further development OF
q
pending upon It. such as the manufac-
Iure OF cotton goods into articles oi
clothing ready for wear.
Il might enUmerate long list OF op-
portunities for the development OF
manufacturing IL WouId include the
conversion, on a large scale, of South,
ern made leather into boots and shoes
harness, and betting, in Southern fac
tories, and the conversion OF the prod.
ucts OF Southern forests and mines into
q long list of articles ready for use
have said enough, however, to suggest
70 YOU the point 1 wish to make, which
s.. that i believe that all of as whJ
have the prosperity Of the South al
heart should DO all in our power 10 en-
courage to diverSlficatiOn OF Southern
industry and the conversion I'm South
ern factories of Southern products int(
articles ready for use rather than then
shipment to other sections in the form
of raw materials or of partly manufac
tured commodities.
Il need not assure YOU OF nay great in-
ferest in every movement for the ad-
vaucement of a Southern community