The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-05-18
SOUTH DAKOTA
A FAVORED LAND
State Executive Tells of Resources and
Advantages.
tBy FRANK M. BYRNE, Governor)

tBy FRANK M BYRNE, GoVernorO
Appreciation Week has been desig-
mated, and is being promoted, in South
Dakota to induce us to pause brief
moment in our busy lives and give
thought to the many blessings and
privileges we enjoy, to the many ad-
vantages we are surrounded with here
in this good state, to consider how we
may improve and best take advantage
Of our natural opportunities, and to
promote state development.
We might also call it Cooperation
Week, as | believe the very spirit of
It's purpose is to encourage co-opera-
ton, team work, mutual reciprocal Of
fort, for the benefit not only Of our
selves, but of our neighbor as we'll;
cooperation in promoting community
welfare, building and identifying
towns and homes, improving roads.
developing fraternal and friendly rela.
lions between neghbors, and general
ly advancing community and neighbor-
hood interests and as incidental to
this general purpose, advertising to
the world our advantages and inviting
others to come and share them.
We have the opportunities, the ad-
vantageS, the natural resources. We
need more people to develop these re-
sources, to build up the state, to add
to its wealth and prosperity. OF our
50,000000 acres of agricultural land,
only about one-third is yet brought un-
der cultivation. We have here homes
and opportunities for millions of addi-
tional people, and their presence would
add to the prosperity, community vel
fare and business development Of the
state.
We sometimes fail to remember how
rich we really are here in South Dako-
ia, speaking of the state as a whole,
and considering our annual production
In the aggregate. With but one-third
of our arabic area in cultivation, and
with less than 500 900 people within our
borders, we produce annually about
00,000,000 bushels of corn (the 1915
corn crop would have exceeded that
amount II the weather conditions had
been normal so as to allow the crop
to ripen as in an average year, &C, 000,-
900 bushels of wheat; about 10000, 900
bushels of OATS; 25,000,000 bushels OF
barley; 100000 bushels of fax, and
about 100000 bushels of potatoes. In
addition, we sell annually live stock
hay, dairy products, poultry products,
vegetables, and fruits, in the aggregate
amount Of about S90000,000.
The assessed valuation Of the prop
erty Of the state, not the actual value,
but the assessed valuation for pur-
poses OF taxation, amounts to $4,000
for each man, woman and child in the
state. Our people have on deposit in
the various banks Of the state close to
s120,000,000, which is a cash credit of
about 1920 per capita Of our popula-
ton; that is, if 1t were equally divided,
1t would make 1920 in cash for each
individual ! doubt il the records OF
any other state make such a showing
for average wealth.
In the southwestern corner of the
state we have the famous Black Hills
Region, referred to as the richest
hundred miles square on earth" con-
tanning almost every known valuable
mineral product, and perhaps the larg-
est producing gold mine in the world.
In the northwestern part of the
state we have extensive measures of