The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1912-06-05
South's Pro-
gress
Southern Railway President
Says Natural Advantages
Are Second to no
Other Region.

review oil the advantages and
the needs of the South was
made by w. w. Finley, presi.
dent of the Southern Railway,
in n speech here tonight at the
banquet of the Board of Trade
of Columbus.
Pointing out the natural 'ad-
vantages of the Southeast, Mr..
Finley said;
"Our section of the United
States enjoys natural advan-
tages second to those of no
other region in the world.
cts climate and soils fit it
for the widest diversitication of
agriculture and it's wealth of
raw materials and. unsurpassed
power resources insure Il large
development of diversified man.
ufacturing. Our enterprising
and industrious people have al
ready m ad 6 great progress
along those lines. In many re-.
spects our progress has been at
more rapid rate than has been
attained in other parts of the
United States. For example.
the United States Agricultural
Department published n state.
ment last fall which showed
that, in the eleven years fol-
lowing 1899, the annual value
of farm crops reported on by
the department in the South
eastern States of Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carroll
ma, Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi, Kentucky and Ten
nessee, increased from $4S5, 4S1-
900 to 81 ,042, 6l4, 900, or 10 per
cent. as compared with 73 per
cent for all of the other States.
The annual value of the pro
ducts of manufacturing in those
same States in 1899 was $685.
$4,000. The census of 1910
showed an increase to l,455,-
$4,000, or 1910 per cent for
the twenty years.
RAPID STRIDES
"r h Southeastern States
have made rapid progress dur
ing the past thirty years. 1t is
the present task of all of us who
are interested in this section to
get together and cooperate
with energy and enthusiasm
for the broadcast possible devel-
opment. Primarily, we should
aim to bring greater prosperity
for those already living in our
section by interesting them in
the adoption of the most ad
vanced methods of farming, by
encouraging the establishment
of industries, and by aiding in
finding markets for Southeast
ern products. Secondly, " o
should all work together to
make the resources and oppor-
tunities of our section better
known throughout the world,
to attract to each locality the
character of immigration that
may be desired by the people
already living there, and by
encouraging the investment of
outside capital"
FARMING DEVELOPMENT.
After commenting fayorabiy
on the organized developments
of agriculture in the South, and
the organized efforts to improve
health conditions. Mr.. Finley
said;
"We have room in the South.
east for all of the industrious,
enterprlsing, and otherwise de-
sirable people who can be- in
duced to come among us. We
havea hearty welcome for them
and opportunities in abundance
for them to better their ,condi-
ton. One Of the most desira,
BILE ways in which our popula-
ton can be increased is by
keeping 0 ur4youug men at
home. We are constantly loos-
ing a certain proportionsof oar
population TO the West and 10
che North. In + he United
States, owing to tho facts that
the first settlements were along
the Atlantic Seaboard and that,
until recently, there we're great
tracts of public lands open to
settlements in the West, the idea
has been traditional that the
West is the lands of oppo2trlni.