The Wilmington morning star., 1947-02-08
S0UTHS INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK

SUUIA , lNUUS lnlAA W wi
The president Of the Seaboard Air Line
Railroad Company, Leigh R. Powell, Jr.
recently travelled in six Southeastern
states, not as a tourist but as an inquir'
ing reporter. His perigrinations carried
him into Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia
Alabama and Florida.
In all he visited business and industrial
leaders, bankers, economists and, being
a thorough-going reporter, he must have
chatted with filling station operators, hote.
managers, jobbers, wholesalers, retailers
salesmen-about everybody whose atten
tion he could gain.
Competent reporters see everybody in
all walks Of life when they set out to
get a composite picture Of conditions in
any area or field Of activity. And Mr.
Powell, deeply concerned with condi-
tions in the region traversed by the rail
road he heads, and being an inquisitive
soul would leave no door bell unrung.
He asked one question: What do you
think the future holds for your section?"
In a folder just distributed by the Air
Line, he reports the universal answer
was one of unbounded confidence in the
years Immediately ahead"
And, in his opinion, the answer is JUST
fled by the fact that the Souths industrial
production has mounted 10 Sl2,000,0O 600
a year. The South, he notes. accounts
for more than 80 per cent Of cotton tex
files, three-fourths Of the nations raYon
output, 100 per cent Of naval stores pro-
duction, 100 per cent Of our phosphate
rock, go per cent Of the kaolin, 100 per
cent of the bauxite, go per cent Of the
fullers earth.
These are "%firsts." In addition the
South is pre-eminent in iron and steel.
tobacco manufacturing, furniture making,
fertilizers, chemicals, meat packing, can
ming and preserving.
Mr.. Powell notes too the rapid growth
Of the pulp and paper industry, due 10 the
adaptabilitY Of Southern pine for the pro-
duction Of any kind Of paper made from
woodpulp. He directs attention TO the
wood Cellulose utilization which has re-
suited in new processes and new products
On his journeyings here and there, Mr..
Powell was deeply impressed by the wide
diversitication in the South's industries
As for the future, he notes that the bat
tie Of industries" will be accompanied by
keen competition, which we have long
been told, though he does not mention it,
is the motif Of trade expansion.
He adds that, despite the impetus
brought about by the war, Southern in.
naturalization has been under way fol-
more than a generation. "0ur industries"
he says, ARE permanent in nature and
were moi secured by reason Of war"
This permanancY he properly ascribes
to the abundance Of raw materials, cheap
power, good transportation facilities,
plentiful native-born labor, mild climate.
favorable living conditions and proximity
TO large and fast-growing markets. While
there are other factors which enter into
the cost Of manufacturing goods and COM
mobiles, these in the main constitute the
dollars and cents reasons for the South
industrial growth"
What Mr.. Powell saw on his trip and
his conclusions, all based on evidence,
clearly indicate that Wilmington is on the
right track in its efforts 10 bring addi-
tional industries into Southeast North
Carolina.
FOR A READING H~EAD-sTART