The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-10-04
A ProtectivelTarif
Means Agricultural as Well as
Industrial Progress
1aanufaeturers Reeord)

{ (M1nQl3cCuTeES 1ASSSiot
Writing for a syndicate of South
ern papers, Savoyard. a well-known
Washington correspondent, in bit
rerly announcing the protective
tariff which was then under discus
sion, said:
1.-The 400 democratic editors and
4 900 bankers of the South who
signed the plea for protection that
Senator Gooding flung in the
United States Senate. no doubt are
patriotic men VINO love the South
as devotedly as I. or anybody else,
but they are grievously mistaken.
The South is a farm. The North,
east OF the Mississippi River. is
factory. II is impossible to pro-
rect The farm in the same degree
that the tariff protects the factory
This is theory which has cursed
the South for the last fifty years
People who argue from this point
OF view have very little under
standing or comprehension OF the
magnitude of the indusfgsal inter-
sests of the South, or Of the Southss
industrial possibilities.
In 1920 the total value Of the
manufacturing and mining pro-
ducts OF the South amounted TO
SO, o,933. 600, 900, while the total
value of farm products, including
all crops and live stock land this.
too. at a. time when cotton was
commanding such q high sfigure)E
amounted to $9,365, 900, 600. Thus
in that year the value OF manu-
faetured and mining products ex-
ceeded by sl,500,006,000 the total
value of all farm products.
E.ut ignoring sentirelyNwhat has
been accomplished in the develop
ment of manufacturing. it should
be remembered that this section is
the most richly endowed region on
the face of the earth for the de-
velopment OF manufacturing and
mining. Great as are its advan-
tages for agriculture, they do not
match in importance the boundless
resources possessed by the South
Tor manufacturing and mining. By
his very argument that protection
does develop and protect the fac
tory Savoyard should have point
ed out that with its enormous re-
sources OF minerals and timbers
and water powers the South ought
to favor q. protective tariff in Or
der TO utilize to the fullest extent
these great. resources fer the em-
pleyment of people: and the ere
alton of wealth.
The mere. fact that, the coal area
OF. tfe South is five times. as: great
as the coal area of-all Europe. ,ex-
elading Russia, and twice.sas; much
even when: Russia is included is
merely a hint Of ,;.he mitless ere-
sources OF this region. Its enor-
nous production OF oil and gas and
the; VASE stares yet. anronched dts
produeeionssof;: 99i per cent oof the
sulphur OF the entire country and
about ss5 per cent of the worlds
sulphur output; its cotton manu-
featuring interests I'M this section
now consuming. TN its own mills
far more than the total consurp-5
ton ofaalE other mills in the United
States. are but hints OF the limit
less future that awaits this region
for manufacturing. Aad in addi-
ton to these facts there, should be
borne in. mind that no eountry,ea can
be permanently prosperous based
simply on agriculture. There must
be- diyersification of industry in
order to furnish a local market
for the products of the farm.
The building of Southern cotton
mills has enormously enhanced the
importance OF the local market for
cotton and the products Of diversi-
fed agriculture for feeding the mill
employees. Birmingham and At
lanta and Spartanburg and Char
Iotte and Admission and every other
industrial city create markets for
diversified farm products. With
out diversification of agriculture
the South would continue in the
poverty which has ruled among
the cotton growers for many years.
This section cannot possibly thrive
on cotton alone. It must diversity
its agriculture, and this is not pos
sible except to a limited extent un-
less there is a home market for its
diversified products.
This situation is strikingly IL
Illustrated in the condition prevail
ing in Pennsylvania. A few weeks
ago the writer mo1ored through
considerable stretch of Pennsyl- 4
vania, including that wonderful in
custrial region from Reading on
through Lebanon. Harrisburg and
other industrial towns. He stop
ped one day to make study of
superb peach orchard producing
the finest peaches he had ever seen.
Inquiry of the manager developed
the fact that the crop this year
vas about 1900 baskets and not a
Single basket had TO be shipped by
the grower. The buyers in the 10
cal industrial towns sent their own
trucks by the dozens TO this grea;
orchard, where all the fruit was
sorted as to sizes by an automatic
machine, and bought as rapidly as
il could be gathered. The local
parkets OF Reading. Lebanon. Ian
caster. York and other towns take
every basket OF fruit that that great