Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-04-14
DEAR FOLKS:

al VI lrtSI WCSb Il ~ SI oiilSs ~ISOl-
ga, completely cncircling the state,
and including Amcrrcus on its
itinerary last Tuesday It was a
wonderful trip, an enlightening
trip and | had intended early this
week to put into print some of my
impressions, and those of some of
the other members CT the party
of more than 100, so that as many
readers of the Tlmes-Rec order as
were interested might share the
benefits of the trip. But the spec
ial breakfasts came with such dai-
ly regularity, the barbecue dinners
with such unfailing supply, and the
evening banquets in su21 generous
numbers that the wind up of the
trim found me hore DO combat
thoroughly satiated with Georgia
hospitality and victuals-so that
the writing of these observations
had to wait convalescence.
The one great impression Of the
trip was paradox: There is moth
ing the matter with Georgia, and
there is everything the matter
with Georgia. We found a Won
derful state wonderful people,
saw absolutely no poverty, found
more goods things to eat in greater
variety in every section than had
been dreamed of, found optimism
and confidence everywhere and the
people certain that the shortage of
money, their only present shortage,
would soon be overcome. On the
other hand, we found a state of
vast mineral and potentially in
dustrial resources in almost abso-
lutte disuse Or stagnation; we saw
great hills of rich iron ore and
never smelter to turn it even in
to pig IRON the first stage of re-
(inement. We saw great sources
Of manganese, ochre, bauxite and
other minerals, and not shovel,
factory turning. W saw hills of
tn finest pottery clay in the world,
and not a pottery plant in exist
ence in the state. We saw cotton
oil mills everywhere, but not
soap factory anywhere to convert
it into one Of its principal prod
ucts which we buy back from other
states. We saw thousands upon
thousands of bales of cotton stack
ed about the state for shipment
elsewhere, and a score of more
mills which mainly produce only
yarns and the rougher grades of
cloths, leaving it to the mills of
other states and other countries to
produce the finely finished and
high priced cotton goods, We saw
@Wlft-running streams with their
power going to waste when it
should be turning wheels. In
short, we saw state most primi-
tive in many respects by compari-
sonia state that produces or has
raw materials in great Quantities
and, for lack of skilled hands and
trained brains, permits it to be
shipped out of the state at low
prices, converted into products of
everyday use and shipped back
and sold to its people at tremen.
dOusly enhanced values.
The whole aspect was tragic
when considered thoughtly, when
what Georgia is daily passing up
is imagined The thing grew and
grew on the men on that tour.
Starting out Monday morning with
a drummed-up confidence they all
afterwards admitted, hoping ra-
ther than believing, they wound
UP the trip Saturday night abso-
lutelv "sold' to tho Greater Geor-
gia Tech movement and Fighting
mad" at the pig g-hcadcdness of
Georgia as a whole, determined to
put over this movement for the
salvation of their state, convinced
that its only salvation in the try
ing times that are ahead for the
unprepared lies in this direction.
For those who may not have be
come familiar with the Greater
Tech movement, it may be stated
here that, campaign is to be
launched April 20 for the raising of
$5,O00,000, payable in five years
in equal yearly installments for
the building of a Greater Geor-
gia School of Technology to re-
place the present inadequate
school. The present school was
designed to care for 500 pupils
At present $500 have been
squeezed into it somehow, until
the limit has been reached both
physically and in sacrifices. The
new plant will be designed to ham
die 5000 students, and will in
clude numerous departments and
branches Of study and training
not now available at Tech. All the
training will be along industrial
lines, developing men as engineers
and managers capable Of taking
charge of all kinds of Industrial
and development work. Friends
of Tech. in New York City have
volunteered to raise S1,000,000 of
the five millions The city of At
lanta, where Tech is located, has
underwritten $1.500,000. This
leaves only S2,5O0,000 or $780,
900 per year for the remainder Of
the state, and already Augusta,
Savannah, Columbus and Waycross
! has underwritten or guaranteed
their quotas.
One question which was met by
the tourists early in their trip, but
the answer to which quickly spread
| so that it was not encountered dur
| -. H. Jo+4o,, bo1f woe NNV by 1rp