The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-17
.GITYS Industrial
AND COMMERCIAL
Center Of SECTION
Continued from pare f91

CONTINUED from page i2.)
q superiority in service now and its
claim win be rendered eth more Sc
cure when rehabilitation Of inland
waterways transportation on the Mis-
slsslppi, now in progress, has been re-
Freight Cost.
Memphis puts great emphasis on It's
freight rates because, in the Language
OF James S. Davant, commissioner OF
the Memphis freight bureau, Memphis
excels. in point of freight cost, any city
IN the South, Southeast or Southwest"
Memphis is a basing point for a very
large territory in the making Of freight
tariffs, This is greatly in its favor
and in v Of manufacturers and dis
tributors. But, what is far more i'm
portant, the Mississippi has been for
years the great leveler Of freight rates
and promises to become ever more i'm
portant in this particular direction as
the tonnage on that stream m~ultiplies.
Already large quantities Of raw ma
terials are drawn into Memphis an
nualiy by boats and barges while an
equally heavy tonnage of factory prod
ucts and merchandise is shipped each
year by this water route. Inbound and
outbound water rates are considerably
lowAr than railroad tariffs on the same
compodities from the same sources and
to the same destinations.
Terminal Facilities.
Terminal facilities in Memphis are far
more extensive than those in any other
city Of the same size. These terminals
are closely interconnected by the rail-
roads themselves and by the three belt
lines that form important links u
switching facilities here. This means
prompt service and it also means rela-
lively cheap service. On these points
James S. Davant, already quoted, says:
'"The three belt roads minimize the
cost of industrial sites and the time con-
sumed in switching cars to and from in
sdustries located On these lines. The
direct connection Of the different lines
OF railway with each other also reduces
the cost of switching and crosstown
service, items Of prime Importance to
successful operation Of industrial plants
or distributing warehouses.
Switching charges at Memphis arc,
generally speaking, secured by con-
tracts between carriers and The city. OF
Memphis. in consideration of valuable
franchises, and are generally low"
Purchasing Power.
Transportation, freight rates, raw ma
terial, labor supply. and cost, fuel con :
ditions and other factors are OF prime
importance to the manufacturer and to
the distributor, but they lose much OF
their significance and advantage unless
factory output and merchandise can be
offered from a given point, in a ter
ritory where wealth and purchasing
power of the population afford ready
and profitable outlet therefor. And 1t is
just here that Memphis makes its
strongest, soundest and most Substan.
ttsI appeal to both because 1t Is In the
heart of the richest AGRICULTURAL section
in the world and Is in the center OF a
territory making notable strides in man
ufacturing and live stock raising, to say
nothing Of the development OF its ener-
NOUS mineral resources.
Time was, not many years ago, when
the South, including the lower Missis-
sippi valley, produced practically moth
ing but cotton and when the people of
proceeds Of their money crop for the
purchase Of corn, oats, hay, peas and
other f~oodstuffs, to the vast enrich
ment ofNfarmers in other parts Of the
country. But these selfsame Southern
+, people, Including those throughout the
lower Mississippi valley, have mended
Diversified farming, under the able
guidance and direction of the farm de-
velopment bureau Of the Chamber Of
Commerce, the government n other
agencies, Is now the rule rather than
q LU0 xCGDJ1On AS d result, IA4 lbCl .
throughout this vast area are not only
producing enough foodstuffs to make
themselves self-sustai~ing, but are also
growing a surplus from which they are
3 deriving an income and through which
they are rapidly increaAlng their wealth
end purchasing power. One county Y
: Mississippi three years ago imported $50
tons of foodstuffs. Last year. 1t did not
import a single pound, but actually
marketed $50 tons 1t therefore increased
its purchasing power through this one
phase of diversified farming alone by
the value Of 1000 tons OF feodstufls
This is a fair illustration OF what dl-
Versified farming means to the people
OF the South themselve sand to those
who have merchandise of any deScrip-
ton to distribute in this territory.
Some Illuminating Figures.
The population of the South has
grown rapidly during the past lew years
and is now approximately $1,000, 600, or
about one-third that Of the entire Unit
ed States, q growth which carries within
itself a tremendous increase In purehas-
Cotton produced In the South during
q recent season brought the unpFeee-
dented total Of 1867, 900, 900 TO growers,
while they received 1884, 100000 from
their cotton seed 80
Definite statistics are not available
covering the value of wheat, corn, hay
and other agricultural products, but IT
Is known that yields Of these exceeded
all previous records during the past
year and that the abnormally high prices
commanded by them insured the largest
monetary saving and the largest none
tary returns in the history of this grad
division of the country.
Development in Progress.
Machinery Is now being set in motion
for the development and colonization
of these properties which have been
greatly enhanced in value and dssira-
ebility by the protection from overflow
provided by the Humphreys Ransdell
bill appropriating millions OF dellars for
the extension, STRENGTHENING ana per-
fecting Of levees from Cairo to the sulf.
. substantially increased each Year as
the timber Is removed therefrom. In
the meantime, drainage projects Of
hitherto unknown scope are In prog
ress and throughout the valley terri
tory, successfully retaining swamp and
as productive as these cut-ovsr prop
critics. Further south, east, north and
west, the Southern Pine association,
through an organized department, Is
taking steps to cleafN develop AND coll
opige the vast areas from which pipe
tfiaber has been. Is being, or will be
removed.
In Brief.
Agricultural development in the Cen
trail South Is only In It's infancy. South
.ern farmers are just beginning to Seri-
dbusly accept and successfully apply the
principles Of diversifieation, with the
manifold possibilities it holds out to
them Live stock raising Is making
unprecedented progress and has a brill
liant future. The South Is also forging
ahead as the home Of manufactures un-
der the tremendous impetus afforded
by the war while the mineral resources
Of Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Louisi-
ana, Texas, Oklahoma, ArkaASas, Mis-
souri, and Kentucky are being devel-
oped In a way discounting all previous
performance
If you, as a manufacturer or distrtbu-
ter, are looking for outlets for fac
tory products and merchandise in a
territory where growth in population,
growth In productivity, growth in
wealth and growth in purchasing power
are proceeding more rapidly than IN