Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-07-20
Southern Group Girds
To Develop Wealth
And RevitaIize Region
BY the Associated Press


BY the Associated Press
ATLANTA, July 19.-An eXclu-
sively Southern organization, the
Southern Association of Science
and Industry. is seeking to mobilize
the best brains in the South for an
about attack on Southern problems.
Already the roster of its general
staff reads like who's who" of
southern leaders in education, in
dustry and agriculture-men such
as DR.. George D. Palmer, professor
of organic chemistry at the Univer-
sity of Alabama, and author of THE
Introduction to the Atom"
Others are Homer Pace, vice
president of the South Carolina
Power Co., Charleston, S. c.; DR..
Howard Odum of the University of
North Carolina. Chapel Hill; Milton
H. Flies, consulting engineer, of
Birmingham, Ala: N. C. McGown,
president of United Gas Company,
Shreveport, La: Lloyd C. Bird,
president of Phipps e. Bird, Inc,
Richmond, and Thomas w. Martin,
President of the Alabama Power.
These are but few and the re-
cruiting has just begun.
An organization with headquarters
in Richmond the association is
financed by contributions from in
dividuals, industrial corporations and
associations.
Plans Concerted Attack.
It's idea is to make concerted
attack on the problems left by gen.
erations of single crop farming, soil
and human erosion, an inadequate
educational system, lack of risk
capital for exploitation of natural
resources and a relatively anemic
industrial establishment.
1t has started by surveying its
peoples attitudes, under the chair
manship of Thomas C. Boushall,
president of the Bank of Virginia
at Richmond. A SASH Committee
said:
Southerners are somewhat given
to platitudinous observation rather
than specific and dynamic action.
In southern rA1grams, the south
lis experiencing multiplicity of
.mediocrity rather than achievement
in any degree of single greatness.
A loyalty to the traditions of the
south interferes with southern zeal
to solve southern problems,
h "a
state loyalties above regional accom-
plishments.
To Improve Education.
What does SASH propose to do
about it?
AS its initial objectives the SASH
intends to fight to:
/. Improve education in the South
so that its boys and girls can get
adequate training in research and
science in southern institutions.
2. Create an appreciation by
Southerners of the opportunities and
resources offered by the South.
3. Inventory southern resources.
Right now SASH Is hammering
away at step three as the key to its
campaign. 1t says, THE ablest staff
the South can produce has been
marshalled for this task"
Part of the staff, committee on
industrial progress headed by M.
IL. Wilson of Atlanta, already has
submitted partial report. This re-
port said:
Last year was the greatest year
Of industrial development which the
South has ever known. The num-
Der of new industries make we'll
diversified line of products, num-
Der of which were not made In the
South before.
Industrial Employees Double.
"In 1885 the II Southern States
maryland to Texas had 34,l43 in
dustrial plants. This total increased
to 44,77e by 1945. The number OF
employees in this same period In
creased from 100000 to 3,103, 900
/ The value of products from these
plants increased from $500 600, DOC
to $40, SOC. 000, 900 =" e."
Research, the committee con-
tinued, is now being carried out by
nearly every State university in
the South and in addition. recent
years have seen private research
labs come into being-the Southern
Research Institute at Birmingham
the Institute of Textile Technology
at Charlottesville, Va, and the
Herty Foundation at Savannah
among others.
The SASH, however, IS not limiting
! its field of endeavor exclusively to
industry. 1t is we'll aware that the
South still is predominantly agricul-
tural.
A committee under Dean Paul
Chapman of the University of Geor-
gia School of Agriculture recently
submitted preliminary report
which found need for:
l. Increased use of power and i'm
proved farm machinery.
2. ablishment of efficiency
standards in operating family size
farms.
3. Specifications for establishing
and operating agricultural industries
and services.
To Raise Individual Income.
The South is potentially rich, but
since it cannot get its gold to mar
ket it remains poor. In this regior
there is one third of the minera
riches of the United States.
i In addition. the South has so pei
cent of the Nations farms, on which
is produced 80 per cent of the cotton
100 per cent of the cane sugar. g.
per cent of the rice, 100 per cent O.
the peanuts, 80 per cent of the soy.
beans, 66 per cent of the tobacco, Al
per cent of the citrus fruits and g.
per cent of the sweet potatoes.
For all it's wealth, the South still
has the lowest per capita income O.
any section of the Nation-less thar
e. mn o,,r,1o11I,