The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-06-28
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out of joint This condition will right |
itself in time. 1t is now steadily right |
ing itself. But years will be required |
to re-establish the. equilibrium
disturbed by an unequal distribution
of wealth brought about by half
century of unexampled development in
invention and manufacturing to the
neglect of the land
Under this REIMBURSEMENT an agri-
cultural development on an immense
scale must be a CONSPICUOUS feature.
The Southern states should come in
for more than proportionate share of
this development. They are behind
and have an immense arear of progress
to make good. They have gone
through a period of arrested develop
ment of soil resources. Until within
the last very few years, except in one
crop-cotton-in which the South has
such a natural monopoly as exists in
no other commodity, and nowhere else
on earth, there has been practically
no agricultural development since an
tie bellum days. The development has
all been along other lines.
The world is on the eve of a period
of readjustment through a natural pro-
gress, of the distribution of the in
crease of its wealth effected during
several decades, and in this readjust-
ment the Southern states, for reasons
indicated, stand to receive more than
a proportionate share of the changed
direction of development. Anything
that will help along the movement
will be of value. The suggestion Mr.
Hawley makes is a timely one. The
large area of cut-over lands in the
South being annually rendered avail
able for agricultural use canot be sold
in large bodies, and to hold such lands
at high prices for speculation will
check progress already well started.
In many cases a quicker and higher
profit would be realized even If alter
nate sections of cut-over land, or Oh
ternate lots of smaller area, were
sold at such nominal figures as almost
to amount to a gift 1t is the actual
cultivator who is wanted, and the 10
cation of every family on a tillable
tract will enchance the value of every
tillable acre of adjacent land.
1t would be good th'As if every
railroad in the south could be inter-
ested to take immediate steps to furth-
er this development. They could work
hand in hand with the owners of the
land, and completely reverse a policy
which many of the roads have persist
emily pursued for twenty-five years,
during which their most CONSPICUOUS
activities have been in putting effect
low excursion rates to the West and
Southwest and in organizing home
seekers excursions" A more short
sighted policy would be difficult to
imagine. At times the exodus of
young men from the older states of the
South, under these activities of the
passenger departments, has
to hegira of an element of
the population of the country most
in it's development 1t will
be big thing to reverse this and to
have the railroads work in harmony
with the owners of the cheap lands
of the South for the settlement of
these lands. The railroads have every
incentive to do this. 1t is the man
with the hoe alongside the right-of-
way that is the most enduring, valu-
able and dependable of their assets.
Another feature of the question
which we dwelt on at some length in
the article to which Mr.. Hall now refe
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