July 1957 page 9

[statistical text box]

BLUE BOOK FIGURES FOR 1956

County	Population	Business Vol. (in millions)	Per Capital Income
MECKLENBURG	252,000	$2,764	$2,146
(Charlotte, N. C.)
GREENVILLE	206,000	$1,065	$1,548
(Greenville, S. C.)
SPARTANBURG	180,000	$724	$1,251
(Spartanburg, S. C.)
GASTON	130,000	$724	$1,385
(Gastonia, N. C.)
ANDERSON	110,000	$383	$1,273
(Anderson, S. C.)
GREENWOOD	51,000	$275	$1,647
(Greenwood, S. C.)
TOTALS	929,000	$5,935	$1,542 (av.)

* from 1957 Blue Book of Southern Progress

[column 1]

for the six counties of about $3 million.
Spartanburg, the peach county, showed
a $4 million increase.

The population figures were bright in
comparison with overall business vol-
ume. All counties showed gains in popu-
lation which totaled 49,000—929,000 in
'56 as compared with 880,000 in '55.
Mecklenburg was up 19,000 to 252,000;
Greenville up 11,000 to 206,000; Spar-
tanbug up 10,000 to 180,000; Anderson
up 6,000 to 110,000; Gaston up 2,000 to
130,000; and Greenwood up 1,000 to
51,000.

Some losses, some gains

Per capita income declined somewhat
in all of the counties. Mecklenburg con-
tined to lead the parade with a per
capita income of $2,146, followed by
Greenwood with $1,647, and Greenville
with $1,548. Spartanburg was lowest
with $1,251.

In a nutshell, the six county area was
down in total business volume, down in
farm volume, down in manufacturing,
and down in per capita income. On the
plus side were gains in trade volume and
population.

[column 2]

The old axiom that the rich get richer
and poor get poorer held pretty true to
form. Mecklenburg led the parade in all
categories except farming (Spartan-
burg) and showed the most significant
gains with the most insignificant losses.

No time for resting

It would be folly to attempt to draw
conclusions from such a short term com-
parison. However, it is apparent, if the
figures are any good at all, that manu-
facturing growth is often offset by losses
in existing industry. The 500 new jobs
to be created by the big plant under
construction may be rubbed out by 600
old jobs abolished with the mill going out
of business.

The lesson to be learned from the sta-
tistics is that there can be no lessening of
industrial development activity on the
part of Southern states and cities. The
picture that seems ever so bright is con-
stantly being dulled by offsetting losses
that should not be ignored. The area is
growing in many ways, but it is not
growing to the extent that there can be
any sitting on the haunches.

10 SEMAPHORE