MANUFACTURES. Because of its industrial im portance, Georgia has long been known as the `Empire State of the South,' and has played a leading rale in the recent industrial awakening of that section. A number of conditions favor the growth of manufacturing interests, chief of which is the great annual output of raw ma terial. While outranked by the Carolinas in the manufacture of cotton, and by Alabama in that of iron, Georgia has a greater variety of manu facturing interests, and excels these two States in the sum total of manufactured products. The wide distribution of water-power is another favorable factor, as is also the cheaper labor value of the product from $12,000,000 to $18, 500,000. A noteworthy beginning was made in the manufacture of hosiery and knit goods. Still more striking was the progress made in the manufacture of cottonseed oil and cake. The oil is used in the production of oleomargarine, cottolene, compound lard, for illuminating pur poses, and as a substitute for olive oil. The cake or meal is valuable for stock food, and is also used in the manufacture of commercial fertilizers, in which Georgia outranks the other Southern States. The State exceeds all others in the manufacture of cotton-gins. The recent increase in wheat-raising resulted in giving a new impetus to the flour-milling industry, the value of the product of flour and grist mills having increased during the decade from $5,200, 000 to $8,300,000. The car-shop and machine
shop products also show a good growth. The following table indicates the development during the last decade of the century of the eleven lead ing industries: of the region—a result of the low cost of living. Again, the efforts of the State through exposi tions, technical education, and of the munici palities in exempting manufacturing establish ments from taxation, have encouraged their growth. The number of wage-earners employed in manufacturing increased 60 per cent. during the last decade of the century, the census of 1900 showing that 5 per cent. of the total population were thus employed. Of these, 10,900 were women and 6370 children. The value of manu factured products increased during the decade from $68,900,000 to $106.600,000. The manufac ture of cotton products leads in importance, and there are but three New England and two South ern States which surpass Georgia in this in dustry. The cotton-goods establishments in creased from 53 in 1890 to 68 in 1900, and the The four largest cities of the State produced less than one-third of the total product, their increase being 17.6 per cent. against 54.9 per cent. increase for the entire State.