Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1922-11-03
NRDcnkl Famous
 on Business Conditions

Wellesley Hills, Mass, October 2s, 1922. In view of the sensational re- ports relative to conditions in the South, especially due to the boll- weevil, Roger w. Babson has been asked to make an analySis of the Southern situation as it now appears from the view point of statistician. Mir. Babsors' statement is as follows:
 "In the so-calIed cotton belt, which stretches across many of the Southern states, is produced 60qo of the worlds supply of cotton. In fact this cotton crop has been so important that the South has practically given its entire attention to cotton and thus became a one crop country. The boll-weevil is now destroying a large percentage of this cotton crop, so that in many sections only one bale of cotton is gathered where two were originally produced. Of course great efforts are being made to control the boll- weevil, and science will ultimately find a solution to this problem. In the meantime, however, there are sev- eral factors to be considered.
 First, our supply of cotton will be greatly reduced until this weevil is controlled. The amount produced for the next fewyearS may not be more than half of the requirements of for mer years. This means that high prices may be expected both for raw cotton and for all manufactured cot ton goods for some time to come.
 Secondly, the South, which has been a one crop country, will be forced to raise other crops and be- come at least self-supporting. In previous years the South as imported from the Middle West nearly all the corn and a large proportion of the meat which it has consumed. This year the oSuth has raised sufficient corn for its own use. It is also suc- cessfully ridding itself of the tick ,wich is so detrimental to raising good cattle. Herds of fine stock are rapid ly increasing, and the South, which has an ideal climate for all-year stock grazing, should soon be one of the most important stock raising sections of the country. This means that the Middle West will have a serious com petitor in corn and stock raising.
 "The third factor to consider is that the oSuth will steadily increase it's manufacture of cotton into finished goods. Already it is shipping large quantities of these manufactured cot ton goods into the northern states. These southern mills can produce very economically and are at the source of the raw naaterialS. This means that the cotton mills of the eastern states will have serious competition. Owing to the present immigration re- strictions, these northern mills will soon be greatly handicapped as to labor supply whic fact should also aid the South.
 "A fourth factor is that the south ern farmers are employing less labor on their farms than under previous conditions, many of them reducing labor one half. The reason is that the farmers are planting a larger acreage in corn, hay, and other crops and less acreage in cotton. These other crops require less labor to work than cotton does. Today there is 8 very considerable unemployment of farm labor in the South. This means that tere will be ample labor for cot ton mills and other forms of nanu- featuring, and for the development of natural resources.
 Fifth and finally, the South is realizing its need of effort and Strug- gle in order to hold it's economic po- sition. The boll-weevil is forcing up- on it a new economic condition which it is now bravely struggling to meet. believe it has the will to meet these new conditions, but it needs capital. The South has large undeveloped re- sources. It has coal mineral deposits, and water powers. Its seaport cities have good harbors whic are strageti- cally located for commerce with Latin America and Southern Europe. Thus, as the South more fully realizes and grasps the, opportunities which it holds, it will grow and develop rapid ly into commercial importance. This means that during the next few years the South will offer many very at tractive opportunities for the investor. Just at present the south is hard hit by the boll-weevil;; but this very fact is bringing it to realization of it's needs and opportunities. Thus, with in a few years a new economic con-