The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-11
WORK OF THE CONVENTION.
now THE FIRST DAYS SESSIONS
PASSED AT HUNTSVILLE.

Attendance Not what Was Wished,
Hat the Discussions Had Merit.
Prominent Men We're Heard-Hon.
W. l.. Chambers on samoan ana
Philippine Commercial PossibiIi-
ties-COI. INiIlcbreYv Advocated
Commerce ana Manufactures.
Huntsville, Ala. oct 10.-Although the
nrst days sessions Of the Southern In
dustriM Convention were something of a
disappointment TO It's projectors in ths
matter OF attendance, the two sessions
We're productive of considerable discus
SION of much merit.
Gov. Joseph +. Johnston, who welcomed
the delegates at the morning session,
spoke during the afternoon on the re-
sources of Alabama. The Governors re-
marks were brief, but pointed and he was
heartily cheered He believed diversity
Of agriculture was the solution of all tho
difficulties, and said that such diversifca-
tion was bound to bring manufactures.
Hon. w. L. Chambers of Sheffield, Ala.
former chief justice of Samoa, participate
cd in the discussion which followed one
Of the papers. To the delegates he said
that with the opening Of the Nicaragua
canal the demand in the Philippines and
other Eastern islands for iron and wood
to be used in constructing buildings would
fall TO the states OF the South to be sup-
Piled This, he said, would pass through
Southern ports once the Nicaragua canal
was open.
Mr. Chambers said 1t would be possible
to lay down Alabama coal in Samoa for
A per ton, while the government had ia
pay, during the trouble there, $22 for fuel
for the war vessels
Hon. J. Price williams Of Mobile, Ala,
read an interesting paper on Alabamas
commercial argosies,
EN-Gov. w. A. McCorlIle OF West Vir-
ginia was chosen president of the conven~
ton, and Col N. f. Thompson of tha
| Huntsville Chamber Of Commerce. secre-
tary.
Vice presidents were named as folowss
Kentucky Il II. Smith, Louisville; Ten
nessce Col. j. Il. Kilebrew, Nashvilles
Alabama, j. b. Gibson Birminghams
Georgia, Col. Edwin Brobston, Brunswlcks
Florida John B. Comeen Tallahassee:
Texas, j. NJ. Nix. Austin. The states not
naming vice presidents today are expect
ed TO do so tomorrow.
Several resolutions were offered and re-
ferred to a committee of three. one pa
per provided for the erection by the ma
! tional government of a textile university
at some central point in the South to cost
| 100000, and Southern congressman were
| urged 70 suggest legislation which would
secure the appropriation This resolution
! was later favorably passed upon by the
committee and adopted.
Another resolution which was adoIted
recommends the establishment of a DEPART
ment Of Immigration and industry by the
legislatures of every Southern state to
gather statistics regarding the Industrial
wants of their respective states. and gener-
ally 10 aid in promoting settling and man
ufacturing enterprises and authorizing
this department 10 act as arbitrator 10 an
labor disputes.
The last speaker Of the afternoon session.
was Col j. y. Kllebrew, Immigration
agent of the Nashville, Chattanooga and
ST. Louis Railroad at Nashville.
An Advocate OF Factories.
Col. Kiebrew said, in part: "southecI
people are making great mistake by
adhering 50 closely to agriculture. II never
made a nation rich and never will. Bet
ter never sell another pound OF cotton and
tobacco, sugar and rice than to neglecE
manufacture A nation may grow opuient
| by manufactures and commerce, but never
by agriculture Nothing helps agrieul-
ture so much as the presence Of factories
"ro grow more products than can be
sold is a waste of work. To multiply tha
products of the farm without providing
markets for them is as great a piece OF
folly as to build houses without prospect
| OF tenants As the number OF productive
consumers is increased by the erection OF
manufacturing establishments, the guam
THY and variety Of farm products may %
judiciously and safely increased because
there Is a certainty Of a market at home
at higher prices. Not only may crops be-
prohtably diversified, but the presence OF
manufacturing establishments advances
prices as much as the transportation would
cost If carried 10 distant markets.
1T was asserted fifteen years ago that
the South was building many furnaces
and that the result would be the completes
des ,ruction of the iron interests of the
country. Iron declined Ia price, not only
in the South but throughout the United
States and Europe but the lasting effect
will be that the South will fix the price
OF iron In the future for all civilized coun-
tries.
"A warning cry IS now raised In Old
England and in New England that too
many cotton factories are being built in
the South The effect will be precisely as
ii was with iron. The building OF these
factories near the cotton fields will trans
fer the scepter of the cotton manufactur-
ing industry to its natural home where thu
cotton is produced"