The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-15
COTTON EXCHANGE BANQUET.
MIR. q. w. Kidd. the Former Seer
tnry, Becomes RetrOnDectlyc,

Mr.. q. w. Kidd. the Former Secre-
tnry, BecOnes Retrospective.
AT the Cotton Exchange banquet on
Wednesday night last. seated near the
reportorial fraternity, and In happy rapa
port with them, n Post reporter noting
the deep interest that MIR. G. w, Kidd took
he gave to the orators as each responded
to the toast allotted him, asked him as to
his impressions of the banquet, all In all.
His response. 1T was the grandest occa-
sion Houston ever Witnessed, and pregnant
with great results that the future can
alone disclose Friends VIII pardon the
interjection Of so much that is personal,
as Il valuable portion of my life--nearly a
quarter of eentury--has been identified
with the Cotton Exchange.
IN the first instance | was greatly graf
flied with cordial greetings OF the deiesa-
ton iroIn Galveston, each one my personal
friend the exclamation being, We have
treated you better than you did us--your-
self being the only delegate from Houston,
when wo celebrated the receipt OF $780,
600 bales. Tho explanation was made in
Galveston that officers wore to be elected
for our congresses then, and delegates
could not leave, and thus the honor was
thrust upon me-
Captain Christians admirable resume
of the work OF the exchange speaks for
itself.
Governor elect Savers address was
able and exhaustive, and 1t is regretted
that "A fun report was not given instead OF
q mere synopsis. Among other things he
said, Il know the advice OF many is Don't
plant SO much cotton" That is cruel ad-
vice. OF course this gratities me, for
few years ago. when some commercial
bodies advised "A reduction of acreage to
lessen the crop ! wrote that during the
civil war, when our ports were bloeAaded,
England built q network of railways In
India and advanced money to open plan
tations and manufactured machinery to
weave the short staple cotton in the hope
OF being independent OF the United States
when the cruel war was over. We know
tho result, as all these hopes We're dis
solved when the long staple Texas cotton
reached Liverpool and Manchester 1t Is
known only to few that some of the car
goes OF cotton that run the blockade, and
heralded in the Southern press as tri-
umphs. were permitted to escape by United
States government authority as a sop to
Ceberus' when English mills were hun
CRY for American cotton! This have
never seen in print. My position was and
is that every bale We lessen our crop is
a bounty to England and other countries 10
supnlnnt us. The remarks of Governor
f'"sS'o os w nphpAibb ~ uuuUou tiutcIesI-
hearing debt amazed me. as our Cotton
Exchange building was constructed from
money raised by interest bearing bonds.
and is now not only frec from debt. but Ia
q highly fcurishins condition. thanks to
she energy and honor of It's members.
Next appeared the aE,l, II. S. I.ovett.
on Railroads. the promoters Of trade
etc. In very able logical and IL may be-
said exhaustive discussion OF his theme.
his speech should be carefully read by
every one interested in Houstons inter-
ests. Only one point made by him VIII be
touched, where he showed conclilsively
that our exchange had rUrfect right -
count every bale OF cotton that cana with
In her limits This to me was also exceed
ingly gratifying, as I inaugurated the sys-
tenn OF counting and publishing Houston's
gross receipts. as we'll rs her net receipts.
ana while this was strenuously opposed
By few, but persisted In. and enab cd
Houston 10 give her grand banquet show
ing receipts OF over 2000.010 bales from
81, 1898.
The Galveston aslssstlss brought with !.