The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-27

yearly gain made by the farmers Of the
south who appear to have applied much
OF those gains to Increased development
OF farm lands or farm properties.
Another Economic Question.
The story Of the growth of the south in
the past thirty years is a narrative of an
amazing change from an almost ex-
cluslVely agricultural region to one in
have been developed The railway mile
age Of the south has increased from about
e%entS i've thousand miles IN 1880 70
ABOUT ninety thousand miles in 1910. In
1880 the south had twenty-one millions in
vested in cotton mills and thirty years
later that investment was as high as
three hundred millions. Thirty years ago
these mills used about hundred and
twelve million bales of cotton. Last year
they used a billion, hundred and fifty
lhlillons- Inc money received from the
sale OF the raw cotton produced in the
south IN the year 1911 to foreign markets
brought to the United States about five
hundred and fifty million dollars. In
these figures can be discovered the chief
reason that explains how the United
States has been able to lend Germany
more than a hundred million and why we
are able easily TO participate in various
foreign loans which were offered in 1911
and January 1872 and why we will par
ucipate in the TOXIC Japan, loan and
probably in the loan which is to be made
in the spring by the city of Paris
One of the striking features of the de-
Velopment of the south is the vast growth
of the lumber business. The money re
cefved for lumber cut in the south in 1871
is four hundred and fifty million dollars
which is four hundred millions more than
was received for cut lumber in the year
1880. The climax, far magnitude of
these statistics is concerned, is to be
found in the features which show what
the money value of the exports of cot
ton in the south in thirty years was. It
amounted to the colossal sum of fifteen
billion, five hundred million dollars. The
money value of the cotton exports in
thirty-one years was nearly two billion
dollars greater than the worlds output OF !
gold for the same time.
A National Prosperity.
This amazing story of material develop
ment and prosperity in the south simply |
supplements the story of the develop |
ment of the United States in thirty years. |
Tt shows how thoroughly cooperative are |
the business activities and interests-agri- |
cultural. manufacturing and commercial
of the entire United States. The south /
does not possess exclusively the advan- |
tages which these developments have |
made possible. Much of the commerce
and industry of the south is sooner or |
later traceable through the clearing /
house associations of the larger finacial
centers of the United States. This array |
Of statistics will certainly tend greatly to
the disposition Of capital to
make investment along wise and broad
lines in all parts of the south And yet, /
after all, the one common thought whlctb
seems to have come to own men of
affairs who have had opportunity to
glance at these statistics is thistle
silent quiet forces have been building up
wonderful empire throughout the south
in a time when it seemed to the world
that the chief interest and occupation of
the people of the south were associated
with all kinds of political activities and
that the activities of the people were cen-
tered upon the election of members of
congress, governors and the adoption OF |
all kinds of political dogmas.