The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1922-01-12
EATON EXPLAINS
WHY OUR STATE
GOES BACKWARD
GULFPoRT LAWYER
MAKES MASTERLY ADDRESS
BEFORE BANKERS.
SPEECH FEATURES MEETING
Says We Cannot Hope to Make Prog
ress While Every Form of Capt.
talized 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-
cidedly 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
solution of the problems of rehabili-
tation and business revival, it is well
for those of us who are interested IN
the development Of our own state 10
give some study to our local condi-
tons.
There is ample material for study
in the census reports of 1920, compar-
ed 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 mali
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
% 1Q10 tnXUnC
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-
lation 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-
ton 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 wag
under twenty years of age. In other
words, the increase was children
children which the state is educating
at large expense, children that are be-
ing fitted for useful, active life, but
children who will, if the present ten
dency 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 it had in 1919,
| WuilG llc 6ChCl al tOLul VI dBl dl
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, 1918
represents the peak of production not
only in agricultural products taking the
nation as a whole, but in the prices
| received for these products With al
his impetus to increase production
)ur own state produced in quantity
ess in 1919 than it did in 1909. 1t is
rue that the farm products of 1915
represented a much higher value than
hose of 1909, but this increase of price
vas due to nothing local to Mississip
ii. 1t was due to the aftermath Of
var, to shortage caused by the war
ind the terrific initiation succeeding
he war. The terrible year of 1920
witnessing ruinous slump in farm prod
1
nore depressing state than we have
ad since the low cotton year 1898
wen in 1919 before this slump there
Jere $500 more farm mortgages IL
Mississippi than in 1909. Another dis
losure with reference to agriculture
1 as you probably already know, thai
lie production of corn and cotton /:
. vastly in excess of all other agri
lltural products as to leave little else
| some localities truck growing is i'm
ortant, but taken as whole 1t:
alues are not very great. They arr
UGH below the value of the hay crop
h.ch in itself is much below the value
sorghum. The summary is that thu
l sricultural products of the state are
i'll as they have always been-cotto1
] Id corn. with cotton largely in Thu
'gcerdance