The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-07
Views on Interesting
Subject by a Man
of Affairs.
TOO MANY PEOPLE
GOING TO CANADA
Southerners Who Go West, and
Why-Trifle Too Much Com
servatism in Dixie-More
Risk Should Be Taken
in Helping Farmer
Boys.

In sending to the Industrial Section &
an article prepared by himself on the
Great need of the SOUTH F. H. La :
Raume the head man of the agricul- &
tural and Industrial department OF tho
Norfolk and Western Railway, writes
a note to the editor. which Is, to say
the least of 1t, a trine sarcastic. Az
ter commencing his article to the ex-
tent of declaring that 1t contains moro
pertinent truth about the South than =
1t contains eulogy or poetry" he says:
L hardly expect you to use 1t, for /
find that Southern papers do not, as =
rule. care to discuss print anything
that does not carry Comm endation.
eulogy. peroration or mutual congrat-
ulation. It's nice. gracious. hospi-
table and agreeable practice, and II
has a tendency to make us all salts
fed, and encourages US to keep on fol-
lowing lines of least resistance.
Let me tell you something, there are
over 20o,oO0,o0 acres of farming lands
In the States south of the Ohio and
east OF the mississippi Rivers. or this
vast amount of territory. less than
20 per cent 10 under efficient cultiva-
ton. and less than 80 per cent is In
cultivation at all. In other words,
nearly four .ffths of our latent re-
sources are lying idle and unproductive
for the reasons 1 have pointed out In
the enclosed article, but, of course 1t
would be very unwise to print 1t, be-
cause 1t might hurt some ones feel
ings or be misconstrued by others"
Mr.. La Baume is the land agent OF
railway and vigorous and progress
sive one ne Is and good fellow with
ALL In one way and another, he works
In good deal of free advertising mat
ter OH the press. I happen to know
that some OF the papers have been 4
turning down good deal of free adj
vcrtising matter of late, and suspect
that is the kind of discussion" Mr..
La Baume has found that the South
ern papers do not, as a rule, care" to
Indulge in. But be that 1t may, he
is hereby informed that this paper
does not ut any time hesitate to dis
cuss any question that is worth while,
and 1t is ever ready. willing and anXi-
Gus to get Mt the bottom facts on any
subject, but this paper strictly draws
the line on the free advertisements
that so often come along between the
lines, in otherwise interesting articles.
Barring some pardonable exaggera-
ton and some excusable stretching OF
the blanket in the statement OF con-
ditions causes and effects, and in fig
ures he gives Mr.. La Baume's article
Is n timely one and calculated to do
some good It Is given space with
plea sure. Here 1t is.
The Great Need of the South.
(By r. II. La Baume.)
IT Is estimated that during the past
five years. over million farmers ana
their families have been induced to
leave the United States and seek new
homes In the Northwest provinces OF
Canada If we average Ave to the
family. this means total or nearly
five million people who have emigrat-
ed across the border within this time.
Tho Southern States. east Of the Mis-
II. nf
have contributed very materially to
this movement Westward Thousands
and hundreds OF thousands OF our
young men and women. representing
the very life blood OF our population,
have left the South and sought new
homes in the Western and Northwest
ern States, with results that are IA
miliar TO any ono who will investigate
conditions III the smaller towns and
their surrounding country districts In
almost any part OF the South. adj
dressed number OF farmers meet
Ings in the counties in Underwater Vir-
ginia recently, and the thing that I'M
pressed me most was the woeful lack
of young people in all the audiences,
on the streets of the towns and viii
lagos and on the farms in the country.
There is very vital reason for this
detection OF our younger element, and
1t lies mainly In the fact that the West,
with it's new blood, irrepressible enter !
prise and the optimism that Is char
acteristic OF new countries and new
oeople offers environment and oppor-
tunities that are very much more at
tractive than have been heretofore Of
fered by any OF the Eastern States y
What are yet only ideals, even in many
| of the most advanced localities OF the
! world, are actualities throughout the
Pacific Coast region. What are dread
! ed rs threatening theories In conserva-
| tive centres gre established as practi-
cal and beneficial facts In this pro-
sressive community. Tho older Sec
| tons of this country. and of every
| country, are hampered and handicapped
in their development by a so-called
conservatism which is too often moth
ing more than sheer selfishness or in
ertness.
Hustle W., Conservatism.
The phrase Conservatism" is made
to cover a multitude of failings. The
/ lack of magination to foresee, the lack
of energy to attempt, the lack of cour-
age to achieve, are all cloaked. under 4
the convenient word conservatism" S
Conservatism Is the attribute OF age.
Energy and enthusiasm. courage. con-
fidence and conviction are the charac-
teristics of youth and strength. II Is
these that have wrought tho miracle
of the West.
1t is these vital factors that have
developed the originally arid sections
| without half the natural advantages
possessed by the South Atlantic States.R
into the most attractive, prosperous,
resourceful and aggressive section OF
our entire. country. II is unfortunate
that q young man Is not usually con-
sidered worthy or business confidence.
responsibility loyalty and assistance
and that in this section these thinSs
are rarely accorded until a man has
grown almost gray in the seryice
| Those are the reasons why. our young
| people have left u.s. and are still CON- 4
tinuing TO leave I'M large numbers Ths (