The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-17
Men Who Represent Thir-
teen Billions Capital.
A NOTABLE MEETING
The Questions to Be Discussed Are In
ter-State Commerce and ReCiprO.
city. Strongly Diverse Views On
the Former Subject Promise
Interesting Developments.
(By the Associated Press.) )

(By the Associated Press)
Atlanta Ga. May 16.-More than
three hundred of the three thousand
members of the National Association
of Manufacturers. accompanied by
hundred ladies. assembled today at the
opening of the tenth annual meeting
of the association. Representative
from almost every section Of the coin-
try were present The Importance of
the gathering was indicated by the
fact that the membership represents
a large majority of the thirteen bill
lions of dollars of invested capital of
the United States and by the additional
fact that among the questions to ne
discussed during the three days ses-
sions are Interstate commerce and
reciprocity. That strongly diverse
views upon the former subject are en-
tertained was manifest in the discus
sions of the afternoon session. when
opposition to government control of
transportation rates was sounded.
The morning session was called TO
order by President r. r. Maddox OF
the local Chamber of Commerce. We'll
coming addresses were made by Gov
ernor. j. M Terrell. Mayor James G..
Woodward and John Temple Graves.
deitor of the Atlanta News
The response was by Vice-president
William MeCarrolI. Of New YORK.
Following these complimentary ad-
dresses, the regular program OF the
convention was taken up. President
d. M. Parry, of Indianapolis, delivered
his annual address. after which came
the report of Secretary Marshall
Cushing which reviewed at length the
work of the association under various
descriptive heads. The reference was
made to the defeat of "bad legisla-
tion" in Congress, particularly of the
anti-injunction and eight hour bills.
The matter of foreign collection was
reported as having showed remarkable
results, less than three per cent of the
claims having been returned as 'un-
collectible"
Ludwig Nissen, of New York. then
addressed the association. His address
was largely devoted to a discussion of
the un-Americanism of government
ownership of public utilities He said
in part:
''The gross injustice of the public
service corporations is unquestionably
the cause for the now general demand
of the unthinlSing public for a system
of municipal and state ownership of
all public utilities.
IF these principles should ever be
put into general practice in this coun-
try, the result would be the destruc-
ton of our liberty and our progress.
We would go from wealth to poverty,
from progress to letharg0 and from
liberty to slavery, because we should
live in a state of socialism which aims
at equality with the lowest instead Of
teaching to aspife to the highest. n
"As a remedy for these conditions,
| would offer the following hints for
your careful consideration. First all
III Il
under strict surveillance of the au-
thority that creates them
Second: whenever charter or
franchise is granted to a public SER
vice corporation it should be granted
only on condition that service rendered
by such corporation shall be adequate
to the public needs. Such charter or
franchises should not be allowed TO be
given away Sold leased or merged
with that of any other corporation
except under terms carefully specified
by law
D. A. Tompkins, of Charlotte, N. c..
followed. His subject was Cotton. it's
marketing and equalizing supply and
price.
After reviewing the conditions which
produce short or large crops of cotton.
Mr.. Tompkins declared that in the
three decades following the Civil War
the Southern farmer produced a con-
stantly increasing amount of cotton
for which by a regularly decreasing
price he received annually practically
the same gross return. The advent
of the Southern cotton factory about
the close of this period increased the
demand so that in the fourth decade
while the production remained ap-
pPoximately the same the price
doubled the return to the farmer.
The factory proved the farmers
Moses. What he needs now is a
Joseph, and this must be the develop
ment of commerce. which shall aver
age the production of a series of years
and thereby meet the worlds de-
mands and steady the price. To meet
this requirement. Mr.. Tompkins advo-
Gated the issuance of a warehouse GER
titicate which shall indicate not only
the actual storage of the cotton, but
also show the quality and grade of the
staple so stored. Such a, certificate
issued by responsible guarantee COM
panfes. would be negotiable in all the
markets of the world 1t would re-
lieve the banks of the South from the
burden of carrying the crop for the
farmer and would relieve the farmer
from the necessity of forced sales.
The afternoon session was devoted
to an address by Daniel Davenport
of Bridgeport, Conn, on the subject
of the necessity of organization ma
tional and local" Following his ad-
dress came the announcement of com
mittees on resolutions. nominations,
rules and order and credentials The
presentation and discussion of the re-
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