Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1911-11-19

work, and there are more big opera
tors from the West and elsewhere
DIR lining great tracts in that State
than in any other Southern State; but
Florida is leading now in the magni-
tude of the area which is being drain
ed Wit contracts aggregating some
millions of dollars, which will reclaim
four million or five million acres OF
&c Everglades region, a territory as
big thu State of Maj yland This
work is being done by the State
$45,O00,000 for Good Roads.
Detailed reports just completed
show that the South is spending con
siderably more than $45 100000 this
year in building good roads, or over
30 per cent, of the amount that is be-
ing expended in the whole country
for this purpose.
English and Canadian capitalists
ale making very he7vy investments in
tuc SOutil, eSpoSidlIy Ill uy ulo-eleSll'S
operations, and also to some extent
in iron interests A company capt
talized at $27 100000, recently formed,
has just bought control Of water
powers and street railways in Geor-
gia, and VII issue $30,000,000 of bonds
for the development of about 100000
rse-power for electrical transmits
sion and the building and operation of
interurban railroads. Its bonds and
stock investment will aggregate $751;
100000.
"a somewhat smaller undertaking,
but still on a very large scale, has
been financed by New York bankers,
who ave bought the control of the
street IA lway and gas system of Ma
horsepower to neighboring cities.
Western capitalists are building in
Southwest Virgin a, at an ultimate ex
penditure of possibly $25,000,000, al
" st hydro-electri system which will
develop over 10000 horsepower.
"Developnems in iron and steel
msking have been of a broader char
acter than anytS ing reported from this
section since the purchase by the
Tn ted States Steel Corporation of the
Tennessee Coal, Iron e Railroad &c.
several years ago These include the
ncf
dollars by the Woodward Iron Co. of
Birmingham, of the Birmingham Coal
& Iron Co., having two furnaces, 49,
900 acres of coal land and 2400 ceres |
Of iron ore land.
"Plans are now about completed TO-
A merger of the Alabama Consolidated |
Coal & Iron Co and the Southern Iron
& Steel Co., the combined company to
have { total capitalization of $4,000
900 and to own $4,000 acres Of coal
land, $4,000 acres of iron-ore proper
ty, eight blast furnaces, 1900 coke
ovens and a steel plant for the manu-
facture of rods and wire on which |
over $3,OOO,000 has already been ex-
pended
/SOuth's Industrial Growth.
THE natural evolution in industrial
activity from the coarser product to
the finer goods is making steady pro-
gress in the South. Hitherto to &
Large extent this section has produc-
ed the coarser products and left to
other sections the making of the fin
err goods. 1t has shipped its pig-iron
to the North and West at a small
profit and bought it back in the shape
Of steel, architectural iron, locomo-
tives and machinery, paying the cost
of freight both ways and profit TO
he manufactures of other sections.
1t has been shipping its lumber in the
rough and buying it back in furniture.
thougl. there has been very remark
able development in the last few years
in few towns in the South in the
making of furniture.
THE combination that is being
worked out for turning the iron now
made by the Alabama Consolidated
Coal 4 Iron Co. and the Southern
Iron & Steel Co. into the finished
nroduct, the steel output to include
wire fencing and kindred products, Is
only an illustration of the rapid
change that Is t king place through
out every line of industry in the
South. putt ng this section on basis
for the higher profit which comes
from the higher class of manufac-
turing. This merger will bring into
he Birmingham district some of the
strongest financial forces of this coun-
try. Canada and England. and, added
to the purchase by the Woodward
Iron Co., will gre thy strengthen the
whole iron and steel industry of the
South.
.'The tendency toward the utiliza-
ton of hitherto useless material ana
the advancing scale in the letting OF
eon.racts inst announced. for build