The Wilmington morning star., 1946-01-28
N c. Tops Most Southeastern States
In Wealth., Population And hdustr,
su,yey OF States Economic
Progress Shows Several
Major Gains
nv BLoYs BRITT

,rEIGH. Jan. 27-P)- 1t has
h the state of North Carolina
lsa are than 40 years to climb from
nolt bottom of the heap of states
al' ,ear the top, but today she out
10 I almost all her southeastern
'ai ;ahbors in total wealth, popu-
,.;on agriculture, industry and
government covert service.
This is revealed in a survey OF
~ Gates economic progress dur
!ll e y period beginning 1899 and
ln .s5ending through 1887, III last
sa aar in which facts and figures
s w. available for substantiation.
az ron,oiled by A. J. Maxwell, di-
..o+or o. the State Department OF
T 1872 research, who is perhaps the
a aidest state employee in point OF
o Osrvice. the survey includes the
~ in which Maxwell says he
S p watched the state grow from
. ~ overnight camping ground for
al parties going to other
. .t.9es'' to a position of national
envv in economy.
hi His survey shows, for instance,
.,.t the states intangible wealth
. araw from an estimated $685. ,000,.
MN nm in 1900 to s4,e41, 100000 in 1887.
u was third from the bottom in
the list of southeastern states in
1 1 (only Florida, Mississippi and
south Carolina were below. In
lori it had 1.54 per cent of all
+he national wealth and was ex-
ceeded only by Kentucky and Vir-
sinia among southeastern neigh
4 bors.
II shows too, that despite phe-
nomenal progress in agriculture
and industry North Carolina in
1877 was 18th among the states
in total wealth and 41st in per
1 capita wealth. In 1914 the state
ranked 18th in total estimated in
come and 44th in per capita in
come.
In a turn-about from the days
of migrat on to more fertile fields,
the state had an increase in popu-
lation of 88 per cent during the
40 years after the turn of the cen
fury. From 1900 to 1910 the popu-
lation increased from 1,893,810 to
3,571,623, the rate of increase ex-
ceeding that of any other south
eastern state except Florida. 1t
grew from 18th place in the family
Of states in 1900 to 18th in 1910.
Noticably or not, the most phe-
nomenal increase in economic
progress in the four decades has
been in the field of industry. In
1900 manufacturing was becoming
important in the economy of the
state; but was an infant as COM
pared to its present size.
The total capital investment, for
instance, was only $76, 503,894 and
the average number of employees
was 7O,57O. The gross value of
manufactures was $94,919, 1858, and
the value added by manufacturing
was SAL, 847, 275. In capital the
state ranked only oath among the
states, and in the southeastern
states her standing was a low
fifth.
But the picture was far differ
ent N 1889, the last year for which
figures are available. Then, North
Carolina had 1925 plants employ
ing 294,314 persons, the value of
products was 81, 421, 239,578 and the
value added by manufacture was
$545, 1852, 289. Thus from 1900 to
1899 there was an increase of BIT
per cent in the number employed,
1874 in the value of. products,
and 1905 per cent on the value
added by manufacture.
Such a growth placed the state
10th among the states in the num-
Der Of workers employed, 18th in
totai salaries paid, 18th in the total
value of products, and 18th on
value added by manufa ctur.ng.
More important, North Carolina
was first in the southeastern states
on all induces by an appreciate
amount.
Maxwelrs figures, too, show
particularly rapid strides in agri-
culture, including livestock, and
furniture and textiles.
Agriculturally, the state never
mad an equal in the dollar value
Of its crops-that is, after Tar
Heel farmers got into the swing
OF things after the new century
started
From 1899 to 1910, for example,
me annual value of cash crops in
North Carolina Increased from
SeO'642 ,9l2 to $241, 538,77s, a jump
OF 25l.8 per cent. In the same
period, Maxwell's survey shows,
some tight states had a greater
percentage increase, but only
1afee states California, Iowa and
ie&aS) had greater amount of
increase in dollars. Of the south
eastern neighbors Florida was the
only state that had greater per-
cehEage increase, topping North
carolina by about $50, 900.
AIDED by the rapid development
u It's tobacco interests, the state
Jumped from 21st place among all
states Soa in the value of its crops in
10SS to sixth place in 1910. 1t was
exceeded then only by California,
IOWA. Minnesota, Texas and I'LL
nois.