The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-11
southern Bushes. Conditions

RreSluenL w. w. lllitS Ol liC tocHNhei 1T Railway company. who has recently re- turned to Washington from an inspection trip on which he was accompanied by members of the board of directors, in speaking of business conditions in the southeastern states, said:
 "The agricultural outlook throughout the entire southeastern section seems to be very favorable While in some 1ocali- ties in the southwestern part of the terri tory rains have somewhat retarded cot ton planting, and while replanting will be necessary in some small areas, 1t will have to be done to very much smaller extent than was necessary last year. Not withstanding the increased attention be- ing given by southern farmers to corn and other crops,e the aggregate acreage devoted to cotton will be somewhat great aration of the soil for planting this year has been unusually good. Farmers are using fertilizers more scientifically and better farming is being practiced very generally throughout the south, which may be expected to result in an increase in the average yield per acre. As a re-
 
 suit of their prosperous season in 1910 southern farmers, to a larger extent than usual, are able to finance this years op- erations themselves without the assist ance of local merchants and banks.
 conditions in the cotton manufacturing industry are not wholly favorable, but as the season progresses more definite ideas as to the size of this years cotton crop should bring about more favor able relative adjustment of the prices of the raw material and the finished prod tets of the mills. The lumber business is still feeling the effects of restricted pur- chases on the part of the railways, but slight improvement is noticeable in some of the lumber producing localities. The condition of the iron and steel indus try in the south is substantially the same as in other parts of the country. With underlying financial and agricultural con in some industrial lines and some pros- pect for improvement in other lines, there Is a reasonable basis for the expecta- tion of an active business as the season progresses.
 "The management of the Southern Rail- way company is not unmindful of the re- quirements placed upon 1t by the increas- ing volume of traffic throughout its ter ritory.i It Is, therefore, continuing it's poll icy of improving its facilities for the de- velopment of business and for the move ment of traffic. It has recently taken steps to add substantially to its motive power for passenger and freight trains and to its passenger train equipment. Its carrying capacity is comfortably ahead of it's present requirements. Looking forward to the progressive development of Its territory, the carrying capacity oi those parts of it's lines where the traffic is not sufficiently heavy to require double. tracking is being increased by the con- struction of a modern system of lap. sidings, and these lap-sidlngs are being so constructed that, if sbusiness shall be- lines, they can be used in a double -tracl, system. In all of these matters the com- pany is being governed by practical, and not academic, considerations, and in pur- now contemplates increasing its main 1 line double-trackage at a point where the volume of traffic is heavy, and expects to be able to keep fully abreast of traffic requirements without going beyond ol straining its present financial resources