The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-08-21
IRON PRESIDENT fNff OF
SOUTHERN RAN WAY.

Washington, D. C, July 81, 1908.
Editor The Commonwealth, Green
wood, Miss,
DsaE Sir,-It has occurred to TIE
thai il may not be improper for me
10 address you and other represen-
HtiVe editors 10 the Southern States
On 4 subject which | believe to be
Of great Importance to the future
prosperity Of our section.
Ny duties require 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
greatly impressed with evidence
which has come 10 me that, while
business all over the United States
has been unfaroFably affected, the
effects Of the depression have been
felt most severely, as a general rule,
IN those communities the energies
Of which are devoted principally to
the production Of a single commod-
ity, or Of a few commodities, and
that business has been relatively
less affected in those communities
in which production is more diver
si6ed. have been impressed es-
peclally with the fact that the bust
ness depression has been relatively
less in those Southern localities in
which attention has been given to
the growing OF fruits and yegeta-
hles, There has been a steady mar
ket for these products, and. although
prices have not in some instances
been as high as in other seasons. |
believe they have generally yielded
profits to the growers.
The press Of the South has al
ready accomplished much by advo-
eating Investigation of agriculture
and manufacturing, and, looking
back over the past twenty.fv years,
we can realize that much has been
accomplished in this direction. |
believe, however, that the time is
especially opportune for continuing
our efforts in this direction and for
urging that each Southern commu-
nifty shall make the most Of the OPP
portunities which a revival of bust
ness will open up to it.
Nature has favored the South
with practically inexhaustible re-
sources Of great variety, and the in
dustrious and resourceful Southern
people have shown their ability to
take up and carry to success new
lines Of industry. | believe, there
fore, that you will agree with me as
to the desirability Of encouraging
still greater Investigation Of in
dustry in the direction of utilizing
to the fullest extent the natural re-
sources of our section.
Without attempting to enumerate
the lines in which progress in this
direction is possible, | would sug-
gest that, in many localities, agri-
cultural prosperity might be ad-
yanced by further Investigation of
farming, especially in the direction
Of producing the fruits and vegeta-
bles best suited for each locality;
that live stock and dairying might
proft2bDy receive more attention in
some .2calltles, and that, in connec-
ton with a larger production Of
and vegetables, there are
many localities in which canning
and preserving industries might
be carried on more ex-
teDsively than at present.
Industrially, | believe it should
be the aim of the South to add to
the profits Of producing raw mate
rials the profits Of manufacturing,
by converting Southern raw ma
as far as possible, into arti-
lies ready for use. As indicating
what may be done along this line, |
may refer to the cotton textile in
Although the South has a
substantial monopoly in the pro-
luction Of the most widely used
fibre in the world, some of
rs are old enough to remember
when it was believed in many quar-
.ers that cotton manufacturing on a
arce scale could not be established