The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1925-08-25
TELLS WHYGEORGIA IS
sOUTH's EMPIRE STATE
FACTS AND FIGURES ON PRO-
GRESS OF STATE GIVEN BY
CENTRAL OF GA. OFFICIAL.
IT'S GROWTH HAS BEEN RAPID


cultural Endeavor Has Outstripped
Neighbors. Figures Show States
Stupendous Strides.
That Georgia is in fact The Empire
State of the South" was shown in
forcible address by w. B. McKinstry,
comptroller OF the Central of Georgia
railway, at a luncheon of the Lions
club in Savannah.
Cold facts and figures, which had
carefully been verified, were given by
Mr.. McKinstry to show that Georgia
has made more solid advancement
during the past twenty years than any
other state in the south, and that there
has been no stop n,this gradual prog
ress.
| What the Record Shows.
You may ask whether Georgia has
kept pace with the other southern
states in development said Mr.. Nc
kinstry. Let us see what the record
shows. The population of Georgia in
creased from 2,2l6,331 in 1900 TO s.
02S,728 in 1924, or an increase of SO
per cent. The value of property in
Georgia increased from $936,000,000 in
1000 to $500, $4,000 in 1922, or more
than four times. In 1900 we had in
| Georgia $40 state banks, with total re-
sources of $33,929000. In 1924 we had
| $50 state banks and As branch banks,
with total resources of $281,813,700,
an increase in resources of $242,884,-
600. The resources of the state banks
increased more than seven times be-
tween 1900 and 1924 When we include
the national banks we find that indi-
vidual deposits increased from $751;
100000 in 1900 to $286,000000 in 1924,
or more than eight times.
Georgia's Crops.
"The value of the crops raised in
Georgia last year was $263,000,000,
and the value of live stock and poul-
try on the farms at the end of the
year was $o5,000000, or total value
of $358,000,000 for crops and live stock.
This was in excess OF the tax digest
for all property in Georgia up to 1888.
That diversified agriculture is a
success was clearly demonstrated last
year when the farmers of this state
produced, in addition to other things,
50000,000 bushels OF corn; ll8,000,000
pounds of peanuts; 100000 bushels
of peaches; 100000 bales OF cotton
and 100000 pounds of tobacco, the
latter a comparatively new crop. It is
only matter of time until Georgia
will be the largest tobacco growing
state in the country, and / would not
be surprised to see it take the lead this
o.
900 pounds With slight increase in
the rural population farm property in
creased in value from $228, 374,637 in
1900 to $l,356,685 in 1920, an increase
in value of over one billion dollars in
twenty years.
Railroad Facilities.
1--WE frequently hear it said by peo-
pie who should know better that Geor-
gia is in danger of losing her place as
the empire state of the south" be-
cause of more rapid dekelopment else
where. 1t was railroad development in
the early days that gave Georgia the
title of Empire State of the South 1t
was the fact that Georgia was in the
forefront in railroad construction and
in the building of cotton mills and
hailed as the Empire State of the
South Georgia had more railroad
mileage in the early period than any
other southern state and it has more
railroad mileage today than any other
southern state. The railroad mileage
Of Georgia today, including yards and
sidings, is 9,173 miles. When we con-
slider that the railroad mileage in Geor-
gia would make nine well-equipped
railroads from Savannah to Chicago
you get an idea of the magnitude of
the present railroad facilities OF this
state. There is no immediate danger
of Georgia losing its supremacy from
a railroad standpoint.
Natural Resources.
1.-THE natural resources of Georgia
are being developed more rapidly than
ever before Hydro-electric power
plants are being built along the rivers,
and streams and power and light are
I'now available over great part OF this
state. The mineral wealth OF Georgia,
comprising, as it does, forty-tour OF
the hfty-two known commercial min
erals, is very great and there has been
more mineral development in the last
few years than ever before. One of
the most modern brick plants in the
country has just been built at Gordon
for the manufacture of white facebrick
from kaolin. The clays of Georgia are
being shipped to all parts OF the coun-
try for use in manufactures and are
rapidly displacing imported clays. We
may confidently expect a very great
development of the mineral resources
of this state in the next few years.
Industrial Development.
That Georgia has had great in
dustrial development in the past 20
years is shown by the fact that the
capital invested in manufacturing
plants increased from $7o,303,316 in
1900 to $44S, 100000 in 1920, an in
crease of 463 per cent, and the value
OF the products OF these plants in
creased in still greater proportion. We
hear it said that North Carolina has
had more rapid development than
Georgia. There is a perfectly logical
explanation for it. When the New
England textile mills began their great
trek southwark it was natural that
4hex1 ebo,.ld efon A. the T1aarecf Mace