The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-20
TALKS OF BOIL WEEVIL
COMMISSIONER POOLE RETURNS
 FROM SHREVEPORT.
He Stood for Excluding Cotton Growing Tram Area Affected by the Pests. Forthcoming Mass
 --. Meetingey .f

Commissioner of Agriculture Robert R. Poole has returned to Montgomery from Shreveport, La, where he at- tended the National Cotton Convention last week.
 Commissioner Poole tells of the bitter nEht which was waged last Wednesday between the factions of the majority and minority members of the Commit tee on Resolutions. The bone of con- tention was a provision of M. I. John- son of Georgia. injected into the major ity, report of the Resolutions Commit tee. which, in effect, would have sus- pended for one year the raising of any cotton in the State of Texas and the area of Louisiana which Is infected with the boll weeviL
 This proviso in the majority report was finally voted down. but not until some very sagacious lobbying among the delegates had been done. according to Commissioner Poole. ,..
 'yust as soon as that part of the resolution was read" said the Commis- sioner yesterday. there was a loud clamor from the Texas contingent. who arose as one on the floor. The leader of the opposition. and a very success ful leader. must say was Stanley H. Watson of Houston. Tex. representing the Houston and Texas Central Rail- road. the Houston, East and West Texas Railway and the Houston and Shreveport Railroad.
 There was debate after debate on this great question, and the result was . decisive victory for Mir. Watson. Of course, he had back of him really all the railroad interests in Texas. which were we'll represented in convention. And there were delegates there united by the wishes of the compress people and warehouse owners in that State. These forces carried the day, combined with no little strength thrown in by the Louisiana crowd from the infected regin.
 e Personally. and for the state of Ala bama," continued Commissioher Poole. T voted for the proposition of ordering Texas and the infected portion of Lou isiana idle for a year as far as cotton raising was concerned"
 why did you vote for ftf" was asked.
 Because I believed 1t was the only possible way to exterminate or approx imately exterminate the boil weevil. and then knew 1t would reduce the crop next year so that we people of the Eastern South would get good prices for cotton" replied the Commissioner.
 "what recompense or indemnity was offered the planters. MT. Poole?" was further asked.
 "It was argued In behalf of the stu pendous proposition to tax every bale of cotton raised next year to the amount of $5 and the aggregate amount thus collected would be dis trfbuted among the planters who were to suspend, and there was nothing to prevent these planters from raising divers other crops on the lands
 This was but a sample of the preva- fence of unniistakabIe politics at the Shreveport meeting.
 Commissioner Poole says that he Is gratified to see the interest growing in the mass meetings which he has called to be held In towns and cities of the cotton belt of Alabama January 10. He has found that similar agi- tation is in progress In all the cotton growing States of the Soutr, all with the view of holding of the market the 6.0oo,Ooo bales of cotton that according to reasonable estimate, ars still held by planters and merchants.
 The Commissioner daily receives let- ters. from different sections of the State assuring him of enthusiastic mass meetings in the county seats on Jam uary 10. He has In mind two large cot ton meetings in January which he will attend. One of these Is convention of the Cotton Growers Protective As sociatiun to be held the fourth Tuesday in January in New Orleans and the oth- CT is a meeting In Atlanta January 24 of the Southern Bankers Association. Both these organizations will be moved by the single purpose of reduc- ing the acreage next year or so retir- ing a good margin of the crop year after year, that the price of the staple will not be under the control of the bear manipulators of Wall Street,