Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-05-28
RAILROADS OF SOUTH
MUST Be DEVELOPED
Must Spend Millions of Dollars
Declares Editor Richard
H, EdmondS


to keep pace with the growth and de-
velopment of this section, or else in FIVE
years the railroads will be in situation
similar to that which confronted them
five years. ago. when there was a prac-
teal breakdown due to inability to han
die the trafic. -
So declares Richard II. Edmonds, editor
more, who is in Atlanta in company
with his wife and sister, after a trip of
several weeks during which he studied
business conditions, and especially the
conditions OF the railroads for handling
increased traffic
Mr.. Edmonds spent about three weeks
on the gulf coast of Florida, visiting
Tampa, the Sarasota bay neighborhood.
and other points, and will be in Atlanta
two or three days.
He gave The Journal an interview last
night, summing UP some Of the conclu-
sions of his study of conditions. He said:
THE most striking thing I have OBJ
served, in a trip of FIVE or six weeks
through the south, has been the sound
ness and the extent of the development
taking place in all parts of this section.
THE next most striking thing is that
the railroads of the south, with but few
exceptions, are scarcely able to handle
the present franc, and are not making
adequate provision to take care of the
increased traffic.
UNLESS the railroads of the whole
central south begin on a very large scale
preparing for the increased business that
is coming in the next few years, within
less than five years they will be in as
bad shape as they were in 1906 and 1907,
when there was practically a breakdown
of the whole railroad system of the
south by reason of inability to handle
the traffic.
THE increase of business throughout
the south may be illustrated in the sim
pie fact that the value of agricultural
products last year was 600O00,000 more
than the total value of all the farm pro-
ducts of the United States In 1890. when
the population of the country was almost
double that of the south at present. The
amount of capital invested in manufac-
turing in the south is now $500, 90
greater than the manufacturing capital
of the United States in 1880.
PROGRESS JUST BEGUN
"And yet the progress of the south
has scarcely begun. The diversifcation
of its agriculture is making a great ad-
vance, and this section now produces
over a billion bushels of corn. In fact,
the cotton crop, which now reaches
value Of nearly a billion dollars per year,
represents only about one-third of the
total value of the south's agricultural
products.
THE south's industrial interests have
barely gotten under way. The future
will show a growth in manufactures and
-f.,s,l 70 have
seen in the past. Southern farmers are
rapidly diversifying their crops, and with
more intensive cultivation and fertiliza-
ton, which is now the order of the day,
II is possible, for the south to double its
agricultural output without adding an
acre to the land under cultivation. 1t
is true this will not come about shortly
but the tendency is in that direction.
I'm addition to the development which
the people of the south themselves are
making, there is a larger movement of
population and of money! from other
sections than the south has ever known
before. From the west and the north
west and to some extent from New
England, there is a very decided move
ment of population into the south, and
no one can travel in any part Of the
south without being struck by this phase
of it's development.
at was largely the result of this move
ment that Florida's increase of popula-
ton during the last ten years was ~
per cent, while the increase in the rest
OF the south was less than. 20 per cent
Florida, however, is only an illustration
of the movement under way, and which
other southern states are now beginning
to share.
in via 1f
facts 1t is of vital importance that the
whole railway system of the south should
be developed in keeping with this agri-
cultural and industrial growth. 1t Is alb
solutely necessary that most of the rail-
roads in the central south shall be re-
constructed or rebuilt. There are some
pieces of track in daily use that are
scarcely fit for logging road. And there
are a good many depots, even in the big
cities of the south-such, for instance, as
Macon and Jacksonville-that would be
a disgrace to any railroad in Africa.
'It is true that the undermining OF the
railroads of this section-the running OF
better trains on branch roads and the
construction of respectable depots at
many places where they are now so
BADLY needed-would cost several hum
dred millions of dollars. But regardless
of the cost, these things must be done
or else failure to do so will cost the rail-
roads and the south many times that
amount"
In reference to what he saw in Florida
Mr.. Diamonds said:
81 have recently spent several weeks
on the gulf coast of Florida, studying the
railroad and business interests at the re-
ouest of some railroad people who WISH
to know my views about that section
among the big movements under way
arc the operations of Mrs. Potter Pal
mer. of Chicago. who some months ago
bought considerably over 100000 acres or
land in the neighborhood of Bradentown
and on Sarasota bay. She is planning
TO build a great winter home on the bay
and other members of her family VIII do
the same. 1t is claimed that the entire
real estate interests of the county have
very nearly doubled in value as result
of her purchase and OF the plans she has
under way for attracting western people
to that section -