The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-21
MANUFACTURING CAPITAL OF
SOUTH SHOWS VAST INCREASE
The South Now Has Nearly go Per Cent As Much Capital
Manufactures As the United States M
Had In 1899 s8

The South now has nearly 90 per
cent as much capital invested in man.
ufacturers' as the entire country had In
1893. Nothing could more strongly
bring out the true progress of the
South than this simple fact, which la
amazingly important In It's signifi-
canoe.
The total capital of the whole coun-
try invested in manufacturing in 1899
was ss.975,256 900 The total for the
sixteen Southern States IN 1914 was
3.497, 100000, or about 40 per cent of
the total for the country In 1899, just
fifteen years before. Between 1899
and 1914 the capital invested In man
ufacturing in the South increased 20
per cent. or an average of / 3 per cent
a year Estimating that the same rate
continued during 1915 and 1916, or
putting the increase for two years at
be over IS, 900, 600 for the South.
as compared with ss,975.000, 900 for
the whole country In 1899.
The capital now invested in the
South's manufactures would. there
fore, be over IS per cent--as much as
the total for the United States as late
as lS9s--as given by the census of
1900.
That this section, whose Industrial
interests are Yet In their infancy, and
the magnitude OF which comparative
ly few people in the United States yet
appreciate, should have nearly SO per
cent as much capital invested in man.
ufacturing as the entire country had
as late as 1899 is a marvellous tribute
to the work which has been done and
to the men who have done 1t, in the
industrial development OF the South.
AS volume increases percentages de-
crease as a general thing. And, there
fore. we can hardly expect to see the
South treble Its manufacturing CAPT
tai In the next fifteen years as 1t did
in the fifteen years from 1892 to 1914
If. however. 1t should do this. It's in
dustrial capital fifteen years hence will
be over 10000. 100000. or nearly one
half as great as the total manufactur-
Ing capital OF the United States In
1914.
In view OF the fact that the indus
trial development OF the South has
passed through all of the diseases OF
the infantile age, and has been placed
on solid basis OF health, 1t would not
be surprising II It's growth during the
next fifteen years should equal In per
centage the rate of growth OF the If
teen years between 1899 and 1914. II
this should be achieved. it will put the
Industrial interests OF the South very
close in capital invested to the tota.
of the United States in 1904.
With the cotton industry OF the
South now leading the nation in the
amount consumed. which will. during
the present crop year. be very nearly,
II not quite. 10000 900 bales, or far
ahead OF the total consumption OF all
other mills in the United States; with
the iron and steel interests OF this
section at last coming into their own
with shiphuilding rapidly becoming an
important factor in the South's indus
trial growth: with chemical industries,
present and prospective, opening up
wide fields Of activity. We would be al
most justified in predicting that the
percentage of growth during the next
fifteen years will be as great as that
OF the fifteen years from 1899 to 1sl 4
1t would not be wild guess wholly
without foundation to predict even
larger things