Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-08-13
S0UTH'S GREAT PROGRESS
Farm Products This Year are
Worth $2,25o,ooo,0oo,
Output of Mn nufacturicS valued NJ
$2,5OO, OOO. OOO.--Hoids Key to Iron
Industry's Futurc.--Grent In
crease in Fine Homes.


Baltimore, is visiting in BOSTON. In an
interview with II Transcript representa-
tive he spoke with enthusiasm about the
achievemt hts and prospects of tho South
He said:
'"rhc value of the S,uth's agricultural
products this year will he about SEQ,
10000 to s2.60,ooo GOO. In 1850 .he total
vnlu" of all the agricultural products
of tho United States, with n population
Mt that time Of 5oW0ooo. was S.2l2r0,oO o.
and late as 1890 tho value of the ag-
ricultural products of the whole country
was s., 40, no.oOo. n other words. the
South to-day. with population of about
26o'n.oHl. is turning out larger value
of agricultural products than did the
entire country. the South Included III
1880. and very nearly as much as the
whole country did in 1870. In this remar
kable fact is found nm indication ~ why
tho South is increasing 90 rapidly In
wealth. n is likewise an indication Of the
great advance which is being made
throughout the entire country, for all
sections are likewise sharing in this de-
velopment
"More remarkable. however, than tho
Souths' increase in agriculture. is its
lin in manufn cturers. II is true that the
value Of manufactured products does
not mako quite so great n showing In
comparison with the entire country as
the agricultural figures do. but the rate
Of growth SO far rs tho South is CON
cerned. Is even greater In 1850 the value
Of tho South's agricultural products was
$3.50. 600 oo, last year II was S2,25 oho." o.
ana this year Il promises to run very
considerably ahead Of these figures. But
in 1880 tho value NJ tho manufactured
| products Of the South was about $3.50 oo,-
0oN whereas now II Is about $500, 0no,Mh
This is nearly one-half as much tho
total for tho entire country In 1850. when
tho value of manufactured products was
S. 2AiNO COO Tomporarilv halted by tho
financial and Industrial depression Of tho
last sovon or eight months. now for
tunatolv rapidly passing away. the man
ufacturing interests Of tho South are IN
better shape for great development. and
a moro rapid growth than ever before
The purchase. last winter. by tho United
States steel corporation Of the Tonnes
see Coal Iron & Railroad company OF
| birmingham. and the work which that
| corpora tion Is now doing IN the expan-
sion Of steel making In Alabama. give
| assurance to the world that for the first
time in the history Of the state iron and
| steel making in Alabama will now he
| pushed with ample capital and with the
| highest technical skill to DC found in this
| country or abroad.
THE Steel corporation people fully
| realize the marvellous iron and steel
making potentialities Of Alabama. Men
| who had been sccptics and who have said
n Alabama possesses tho iron and steel
making advantages which have been
| claimed for II. why docs not the Steel
| corporation 60 into that state. can no
longer ask this question. The Steel cor
| poration by an investment In the pur-
| chase of the property. including the
hond, on Il and the outlaws being made
in enlargement Of It's plant Of over s7o,
ON ~, has given to the world its testi-
nlony 70 the unequalled advantages Of
that district. Many Of the leading iron
and steel people NJ Pennsylvania and
| tho west who until tho steel corporation
went into Alaha ma had never personally
| visited or studied that district. now free
! " admit that Alabama holds the key ia
the future iron production Of this coun-
try The conditions now prevailing prac-
| ticallv assure a develonment in Alabama
rtvall,ng that of PittshurR and the West
during the last ten years. With tho rapid
swing Of the pendulum in the South
away from tho radicaNsm ~ demagogic
agitators to the natural position of the
South Of soundness and sanity and con-
servatlsm. IN protection 70 property. In
terests. there must soon come about a
far greater innux NJ capital into that
section. and a far greater industrial de
v-lopment than II has Yet seen.
The fact that It is naturally the most
richly endowed country IN the world
that It has greater resources for the
support Of n dense population and the
creation NJ vast wealth. is so we'll known
as scarcely to need reiteration. In many
directions there are indications Of tbs
coming OF this development and many
signs Of the increasing wealth of the
South. Among the most notable sign
are tho great increase in the building o'
fine homes through the entire South
oven ont Of the borders of Texas: the
Improvement IN roads and streets. tn,
building If costly schools and churches
and In municipal improvements Of every
kind 1t Is quite snfe 10 say that mum
cipal improvements. such as public
buildings, street paving, sewerage sys
TENS and waterworks, md kindred
things now under way or definitely de
cided on IN tho South. Will represent M
outlay ~ 500 ono, n0 Baltimore is spend
ing s60nh.o0o upon the Improvement of IL
docks. 100000 upon Its sewerage sys
tenn. about s5,hnnnN upon paving. anC
will shortly vote on an Issue Of bonds o
N,O0h,o'n for the enlargement Of its water
works. The state Of Maryland has vote'
as issue Of S5onO,onO Of bonds for tn
building Of about so0 to 100 miles of goot
roads as main artery lines through TIT
State.
"Other southern municipalities AM
States are vigorously pushing simila
work. even II not on quite so large
scale Foulton County, Ga. in whicl
Atlanta Is situated has completed ahou
, 25O miles Of splendid macadami2ed road
all built by the use Of prison or conv'c
, labor, and Is preparing to continue thi
, work until It has at leaet 1--WE hundre'
, miles. Many Of the most thoughtful
students of the question In the Soutl
believe that this Is the best possible wa,
: in which to utilize the labor Of convicts
and there Is a growing tendency to a
away with the leasing system and t
I utilize convict labor under county an
, State control for building State high
a ways. The good progress Of Fulto
county In road building is being watch
I ed In many other counties in the Care
linas. In Georgia. Alabama, and eve
down into Texas, where sparcity Of por
ulation makes roadhnilding n more diff
I cult problem. New Orleans has recent