The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-08-05

tine Chamber Of Commerce. BuNneTz
Mems Club Retail Merchants A..
ISOLATION, Z, c. :. Richmond Adver-
Users Club. T. p. A. and Rotary Club.
Words OF Inspiration.
II Inspiration for and ENCOURAGEMENT
in the development OF the resources OF
Virginia were the thoughts presented
by the speakers. The theme was back
90 the soil of Virginia. The principal
truth was that Yirginia's natural
wealth is greater than is that OF other
sections of the country through which
the virfiuians passed on their trip to
the Pacific.
How the people of Virginia may CO.
operate 10 best serve the agricultural
and Industrial interests Of the Com
monwealth was pointed out That the
| people of Virginia are satisfied win
returns from little expenditure OF
| labor-returns rich because OF the
wealth OF the States soil--was en-
/ phasized.
Earth Made for Mankind.
That wealth is produced by the soil
and that Mother Earth was created
to produce life for mankind was the
thought stressed by Governor Stuart.
Governor Stuart presented by Presi-
dent Reed. OF the Chamber of Com
merce, opened his address with fitting
tribute to the hospitality OF the peo-
pie of the country through which pass
ed some two hundred men, the larg-
est single body OF virginians TO take
40 long a trip" The Governor said
that the warmth of the welcome &C
corded the Virginians was even great
err than the newspaper reports nave
shown. He said he would like to talk
of the good time and Of the beautifuI
scenery of the trip, but the practical
side Of II was Of greater value; ana
TO the practical side he confined MS
talk.
"Reeinning west Of the Ohio River.
as we looked out Of the car windows,
said the Governor I'VE saw money
money without end--growing out OF
the ground and that is the only place
that money does come from! 1he tens
nf millions of dollars of annually Gre
sted wealth comes out OF Ma E'arth
That is the only wealth OF the conh-
try, for upon the wealth the soil pro-
duces depends all industry and all NE.
II Is the wealth that Ia used today
and tomorrow. II is the wealth from
A mine that doesn't run out. Goid'
coal and all the ores taken from tne
earth soon deplete the mine. but tIu
Mother Earth Is the only mine that
cannot be mined out
Depenient Upon Productivity.
| ION the first day of March we look
over a ffty-acre farm. II Is pare cH
the fifteenth Of October we nave a
great crop. All other Income Is oe
nandent upon Il. There'd be no neeo
~ railways and Industries were 1t not
for the farm.
"A country is dependent for its pros
neritv upon It's productivity. the aver
age productivity of its people Renee
II deduce--a country Is rich and pros
perous in proportion TO its productl-
witty or the average productivity OK i'S
people. .o,, aud
the Mississippi" the Governor 80
tnisre6 ,qs rich: hut its richness does
not compare with tnat winch
has given Virginia"
Governor stuart spoke of cities a,
which stops were MADE ana sta'eu
thai each of these depends for lie
wealth upon the wealth of the sur
: rounding country He pointed to the
fact that the cities benefit through
corporation with the agricultural IN
terests surrounding them re slau.
"On every hand we found that pros
nerous communities, towns and cities
svstems OF railway and great BANK
| ing institutions, all are depenoeh
upon the agricultural product,
THE community with small earn
ing power: that Ia TO say, with SINAI
, productivity. Is b poor community
, This applies 10 a city. a state. ma
a tion.
p '"rhe community that has had pro
auctive resources and these resource
: have decrea sed IN productivity, Is ais
poor community. The community
that has 1t in reach and doesn't uti
, lie H. is falling in It's opportunity
Governor Stuart cited the case o
Utah. Twenty years ago that Mormon
=. ridden state. with people DISCOURAGE
J was one Of the poorest. In the ias
: twelve or fifteen years, the Governo
said, Utah has grown rich. A new
shirt, that which is born of the belle
that the soil can be made to produc
and in which earnest effort Is made, ha
= caused the western country TO prosper
virginia Soil Fertile.
prosperity ne said. has riddei
over the entire country from the MIS-
sissippi to the Pacific"
, The Governor continued;
There was no magic in slavery tina
made the soil OF Virginia produce. Tn
: land has produced in Virginia IL !
was ever capable of producing, II j
: capable OF producing now.
D "The world was not made to be de
stroyed in two or three generations
: The Creator gave the earth to man
I kind. We can bring the land back Z
- x
Q The earth only needs a good master ant
= good cultivator
= 10000 Idle Acres.
There are nine million acres
, land lying idle in Virginia that ono
produced big crops and that can b
: made to produce again After tn
: war there was the lure of the wes1
the lure Of cheap land. Land value
there have become high, though pro
ductivity in the West in less than one
. third OF what, II is in Virginia. TIL
, tide that has gone west Is turnin
! eastward again and Virginia with loy
: priced land is becoming the goal
, those who seek opportunity.
5 II believe that the opportunity
, at hand for the restoration of tn
prosperity that Virginia once had. tn
average price per acre of Virginia Ian
is $40. The average income annual
: from a Virginia acre is SIS or Is pc
cent of the cost price. We want Thu
nine million acres of idle land pu
TO use in producing wealth for gu
J Commonwealth. and l take this op
portuntty to heartily endorse tn
. Southern Settlement and Development
ar~a nj tim ubirh sacks hrinI