The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-09-16
GROWTH OF THE SOUTH.
Figures Showing Magnitude Of Tie
Commerce And Industries Of Six
teen States.
Philadelphia Ledger.

hiituciphld lseuSeT.
II wish that II the Senate Commit
tee on Interstate Commerce under
takes in good faith the investigation
into business industrial and labor
conditions which its chairman an
nounces will be undertaken this fall,
II would receive In evidence the
amazing report Of the growth Of the
South in recent years which has been
compiled and compacted into brief
statement by Richard III. Edmonds
ord Of Baltimore" This was the com.
ment made by one Of the leading
business men Of New York. One Of
the first Of the thoughts suggested by
this compilation is the fact that what
ever may be said of other parts of
the country lit cannot be said of the
South that there the rich are growing
richer and the poor growing
poorer. for II Is the belief Of our own
business men that 1t Is impossible
that there should have been such an
almost inconceivable growth OF the
South within the last 25 years. and
especially since 1900. unless those
whom Abraham Lincoln called the
plain people have received fairly
proportionate share Of the increase
Of wealth.
Another comment that has been
made in this ely was to the effect
that these astonishing figures SEEM
ed TO refute somewhat the demagogic
statement respecting the evil infiu-
ences that have followed combina-
tions of capital and the creation Of
great corporate combinations. for to
our business men 1t seems inconceiv-
able that there should have been such
growth In the South as Mr.. Edmunds
reports. IL. on the whole, business had
not been fairly and honorably con-
Quoted. Mr.. Hartman used some-
times to speak Of the empire like
Southwest" saying to his friends that
he believed that In the future that
region would be found the most
wealthy and the most wealth produc-
ing in the entire Union. That has
also been the opinion Of B. F.. Yoak-
um, whose extensive railroad associa-
tions have made him very familiar
with the Southwestern region.
Mr.. Edmonds' compilation. how
ever. shows that the 16 Southern
States. as whole. may be az appro-
priately described with the prophetic
enthusiasm with which Mr.. Harri-
man spoke Of the empire like South
west as that region which includes
Texas. Arizona. New Mexico, Arkan
sas and Southern California. Recent
ly public attention has been called to
the fact that our exports of manu-
factured products from the United
states have in money value within
10 years caught up to and surpassed d
the money value Of our exports Of
agricultural products. 1t has. how
ever. escaped attention until Mr.. Ed
monds' statement was made that al
most one-half OF the total exports of
the United States In the last fiscal
year originated in the South. In ad-
dition to that. little over one-third
OF the total exports from the United
States passed through Southern ports.
In the fiscal year which ended on
June 80 the money value of the ex-
ports from one Southern port was
actually nearly $4,000, 900 more than
the combined value Of exports and
imports from the Pacific Coast. Not
many persons knew until these fig
ures were complied that the foreign
exports from one Southern port ex-
ceeded by nearly $4,000, 900 the COM
bined exports Of San Francisco. Bos.
ton and Philadelphia.