The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-10-11
MEETING OF AMERICAN
BANKERS MARKS RECORD POINT
OF PROGRESS OF THE SOUTH
Record Baltimore Md

| than did the Southern mills, but this
years consumption by the latter was
greater than the consumption by all
the mills of the country in 1896.
Importance of the South's cotton
crop thus shown Is emphasized by the
fact that in only one year since the
beginning of 1900 has the value Of
the exports of raw cotton been less
than the value of the output of all
the gold mines of the world, and that
value Of the 1s2.sS3,624 bales of
Southern cotton, with its seed. mar
keted In that period have been worth
$11. SOC. 100000. or $4.162, 100000
more than the value of all the gold
and silver mined in the world in that
period.
Primary products of the cotton
seed oil industry in the South, the
meats, the hulls and the linters now
have an annual value of more than
$3.50, 100000, and they are given
much greater value, as they are con-
verified into fifty or more products OF
wide range. including batting, wad-
ding. absorbent cotton. wicks, Irvine,
rope, paper, explosives. cosmetics.
emulsions. automobile tires. soap.
candles. butter oil. salad oil. lard
compounds, fertilizers. bread and fod-
der. The value of the primary pro-
but that was an enormous advance
from the less than 100000 worth
twenty years before. Though there
we're several attempts at the CONNER
cial crushing of cotton-seed before the
war of the sixties. the industry is real
tly a creation of the past thirty Id
years, and its growth is equaled in
interest from the standpoint of ma
terial dramatics only by that of the
Portland cement industry, which,
having an output Of only $4,000 bar
rels in 1880, now has one approach
/ ing i6e.eo0,t0o barrels. with the
South turning out 100000 barrels.
The value of fertilizer manufactured
in the South has trebled since 1900,
and the South makes 81 per cent
Of the total output in the country
and uses about the same proportion.
Surprising manufacturing capital
in amount. agricultural capital In the
South has increased at slower rate.
and Southern agricultural products
are between s5,000,0 600 and $6.o00,00
less in value than manufactured
products Cotton, with it's seed, rep
resents something less than third
of the total value of the South's ag-
ricultural output, which increased
since 1900 from s1,564.o6s,0 900 to. $3.-
500, 100000, or at the rate OF 1888
per cent. the increase in the rest OF
the country having been $3,091, 0Oo.-
900, or at the rate of ss-2 per cent.
In the same period Southern agricul-
tural capital. in land and improve
ments, livestock and implements, In
creased from s5,262,27s.ooo to sl2.-
40. 100000, or by $S,S47,721, 900.
equal to 1901 per cent. This increase
has occurred with but a slight en-
largement of improved farm acreage.
and with millions of acres still to be
brought under cultivation. OF the
total area OF the South, 6o4 .s5S,o00
acres, Sal 10000 acres are available
for titled crops or non-tilted crops.
OF the asa 1850. 900 acres available for
titled crops. hardly 115,0o0,0oo, or
less than a fourth. are titled. In this
domain the opportunities still to be
developed may hardly be safely esti-
mated, but they are suggested in the
| fact that the South not only raises
such crops as cotton, sugar cane. rice
and citrus fruits, almost peculiar to
itself, but Its wide range of soils and
climate makes 1t possible to raise
every other crop grown in any other
part OF the country.
| In comparison with an increase in
the rest Of the country at the rate
OF s3.3 per cent in mineral produc-
c0SH iu hhC WYNN
since 1900 has more than tFeblea In
value. increasing from sl2s,Sl7. 500
to $410,000.00o, or at the rate OF 2o7.S
per cent. The great increases have
been in coal. from 54,510,4 60 tons to
42,50S,567 tons. or at the rate OF
1914 per cent; in petroleum. from
| l7,102.047 barrels TO l00.000.000 bar
rels. or at the rate Of 4S47 per cent.
as the fields in Oklahoma. louisiana
and Texas have been developed: in
sulphur, Louisiana and Texas produc-
ing most OF the country's output, In
lead and zinc. and in phosphate rock.
from l.4SS.907 tons to 3,106.16s tons.
or at the rate OF 1855 per cent. Iron
ore production has increased at the
rate OF 31.5 per cent. from 4,74s,S15
tons to s,243.31s tons.
To bring about such notable devel-
opment in all leading lines OF pro-
duction. 1t has been necessary to build
many miles of railroad. to increase
double trackage and sidings. and to
enlarge terminals. OF $4,000 miles OF
railroad built in the country since
1900, the South has built 30.s04 miles.
increasing its length of single track
railroad from $3.50 miles TO 92.6S4
miles. or at the rate Of 4s.S per cent.
From the farms the factories, the
forests and the mines of the South.
accelerated by greater means of trans
! portation. arise the materials for at
-. d.