Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-24
YEAR FOR R0AD-MAKING;
SOUTH PUSHES FORWARD
Tnlk OF empowered" Dixie All Uosh.
To build More ROnds Than
Ever,

The following from Southern Good
Roads. "A magazine published at Lex
inEton. y. G., is brim fun of truth and
good sense:
When misguided business men OF the
south started the buy bale" move
mont Few months ago they thought
ihcE were doing the farmers Of tho
south great favor. Newspapers all
over the land took up tn" proposition
ana devoted column after column to
hEstcrical editorials and screaming
special articles. urging merchants
manufacturers and professional men to
huy bal" OF cotton" Many thou
sands OF bales of cotton were bought
at 10 cents per pound and stored AVA.
There may have been "A few cases when
these purchases relieved some dis :
tr"sscd farmer, but the cases are
mighty few aud far between The
whole disgusting movement did not do
any real or lasting good. and served
only 1" convince outsiders that tn.
south was paupc, land. inhabited by
b"YEars
This Impression has gained such a
strong hold on our brethren Of tho
North that, instead OF laying plans for
increasing operations in the South.
som" are actually considering staying
out of the South this year They see
no prospect OF doing business with a
broken and dispritcd peopIe-pauper-
iz"d by the failure OF cotton to bring
1913 prices!
We had heard go much about tho
south distress that We began to feel
Z mat there might be n little truth In
tn" story somewhere, though We have
been able 10 So" no evidence Of distress
around US. With the view of finding
out just what effect the low price O.,
cotton was going to have on roadDuiId-
ing IN the south, the editor OF this
MAGAZINE wrote To the heads Of the
hiIhway departments aud officials in
chars" OF road work In every Southern
stat" ana asked for Information az to
the road work contemplated FOR 1915.
tho plans that are being laid for road :
building. ctc.
The replies have been startling.
From every southern State come the
most encouraging reports. We have
hSsuranc" that 1915 will see the great
IS, awakening In road work in ,ho
history OF the South. In every South =
''fn STAT" more good roads will he
cunt In 1913 than were built In 1914
There Is no thought Of curtailin;; high
way expenditures because cotton IS off
lew cents on the pound. paupcrs
are scarce. The south has mighty few
OF them
i'aupcrizc Tic great South by the fall
ure OF single crop TO bring high
prices? II can't be done a few years
ago cotton sold as low az cents per
pound w" pulled through that With
out serious difficulty and to-day, with
cotton selling ut "a. and sure to bring
T, y cents within tho next month or two.
"c can see no room for the pessitnist
and the bowler. The South is not n
ohe-crop section now. whatever IL ha s.
been in the past. To-day the South
grows great quantities Of corn. tobac-
co. wheat and other products. and her
nf
horses and mules arc bringing in rev.
cnucs that more than offset the cotton
deficit Thousands OF factoric. in all
parts of the South arc busy turning
out finished products that arc bringing
and Will continue to bring. streams Of
gold into our section.
The South is not n parper. II is not
land of paupers. The cotton trouble.
magnificd TO an outrageous degree, has
given the South black eye, and we
must live that down. Let every South
crn man and every Southern newspaper.
use every power to correct this false
impression that is abroad In the North.
Unless this is done. our loss will be
great indeed