Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1921-12-15
EATON EXPLAINS
WHY OUR STATE
GOES BACKWARD
PROMINENT GuLFPoRT LAWYER
MAKES MAsTERLY ADDRESS
BEFORE BANKERS.
SPEECH FEATURES MEETING
says We Cannot Hope to Make Prog
ress While Every Form OF Capt.
taIized Industry is Being Per
secuted in Court.
Mr.. Eaton's Address.

Mr.. Eaton's Address.
Mr.. Eaton was the first speaker OF
the meeting, and his address was de.
acidedly the feature of the day, because
of the array of facts presented. His
address in full was as follows:
At a time when the study Of the
best minds Of all nations and OF every
section of each nation is given towards
q solution of the problems of rehabilf
sation and business revival. 1t Is well
for those of us who are interested IN
the development of our own state to
give some study to our local condi.
tons.
There is ample material for study
In the census reports of 1920, compar-
cd with the census reports Of the pre-.
ceding decade, not only Of our own
state, but of other southern states. The
three elements contributing to the
business well-being Of any state are its
population, its agriculture and its man.
ufacturing activities.
The first disclosure is in connection
with our population. We all recall dis
appointment experienced by each par
ticular town in Mississippi when the
census reports were being given out
and when it was appearing that every
town, practically without exception,
was receiving notice of population
not only smaller than 1t had expected
but in many instances smaller than
thA In NIX
counts were demanded and were ac-
tually had but the recounts did not
change in any material way the totals.
Finally the whole story came out, and
we were informed that our state had
lost in population between 1910 and
1920 approximately $500 people. We
were then told that this loss in popu-
iation was due to the emigration OF
the negroes, and we were given to a
bit of reinsurance over the hope that
after all we had suffered no real loss
in the valuable part of our population.
At length the complete reports were
tabuated, and it now appears that our
loss In population is both substantial
and material. There was loss in ne
gro population of, in round numbers,
$4,000 The gain in the white popuia
zion was, in round numbers, $1,000, but
this gain is not at all hopeful. The
census discloses that between the
ages Of twenty and forty-five the
white population of Mississippi in 1920
was smaller than in 1910. This means
that substantially all the increase in
the white population of the state wac
xnder twenty years of age. In other
words, the increase was children
ut large expense, children that are be-
ing fitted for useful, active life, but
children who will, If the present ten
Aency continues, leave the state be-
tween the ages of twenty and forty-five
years and will give to other states the
wealth of service and opportunity they
are taking away from Mississippi.
Farming Goes Backward.
A similar story is found in the study
of agriculture. In 1909 Mississippi
had 2,2S1 farms that 1t had in 1919,
while the general total of agricultural
products in volume in 1919 was sub
stantially less than In 1909. We should
remember that 1909 was year OF de-
preston. The panic at the end Of
1907 and at the beginning of 1908 had
caused business depression all over
the entire country, and farming activi-
ties were at the lowest point between
1900 and 1920. On the contrary, 1919
represents the peak Of production not
only in agricultural products taking the
nation as whole, but in the prices
received for these products. With ali
this impetus to increase production,
our own state produced in quantity
less In 1919 than it did in 1909. It Is
true that the farm products Of 1919
represented much higher value than
those Of 1908, but this increase Of price
was due to nothing local to Mississip-
pi It was due to the aftermath Of
war, to shortage caused by the war.
and the terrific initiation succeeding
the war. The terrible year of 1920,
I witnessing ruinous slump in farm prod
net values, has brought us to q much
more depressing state than we have
had since the low cotton year 1898.
Even In 1919 before this slump there
were 1900 more farm mortgages In
u Mississippi than in 1909. Another dis
closure with reference to agriculture
Is. as you probably already know, that
the production, 81 corn and cotton Is
10 vastly ia excess Of all other agri-