The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-17
IN NATIONAL
 CONFERENCE Manufacturers Assembled
 at Atlanta. GATHERING IS IMPORTANT Many Prominent Representa-
 tiveS Are Present. Secretary Reviews Work of the Orr ganization--Mr. Tompkins' Ad-
 dre.s on Cotton and Prevail ing Conditions.
GATHERING IS IMPORTANT

Atlanta, Ga, May 16.--More than three hundred of the three thousand members of the National Association of Manufacturers, accompanied by a hundred ladies assembled today at the < opening of the tenth annual meeting of the Association. Representatives from almost every section of the eoun- try were present. The importance of the gathering was indicated by the fact that the membership represents large majority of the thirteen bile lions of dollars of invested capital of the United States and by the additional fact that among the questions to be discussed during the three days ses- sion are interstate commerce and re- ciprocity. That strongly diverse views upon the former subject are enter tained was manifest in the discussions of the afternoon session when oppost- tion to government control Of trans poration rates was sounded
 The first session was called to order l by President P. F. Maddox, of the To- cal chamber of commerce, who intro- duced to make the welcoming address, es Governor J. M. Terrell. Mayor James G. woodward and John Temple Graves. editor of The Atlanta News. The response was by Vice President | William McCarroll. or New York. Following these complimentary ad- dresses the regular program of the convention was taken up. The annual address of President D. M Parry. of Indianapolis. was Grst in order. The report of Treasurer Francis H. Stillman. of New York. showed the re- ceipts since the last annual report to March s1, 1905, to have been si56.lsS. with an unexpended balance at tnat date of $7,s7s.
 | secretary's Review.
 The report of Secretary Msrshan Cushing, New York, reviewed at length the. work of the association under vari- ous descrtntiye heads. Reference was | made to the defeat of ''bad legislation | in Congress. particularly of the anti- injunction and eight-hour bills. Tne matter of foreign collections was re- ported as having shown remarkaple fe- \ sults. less than 3 per ctAit of the elairnsl I havinr been returned as auncollecta- able The fiourishing condition of the assocIation was commented upons show ing an increasing membership among the responsible manufacturers or the country.
 The address of Ludwig Nissen or New York was then delivered.
 D. A. Tompkins of Charlotte, N. C., followed with an address on cotton, It's marketing and equalizing supply ana price.
 After reviewing the conditions which produce short or large crops or cottoh' r. decades following the civil war the Southern farmer produced constantly Increasing amount of cotton, for which bv a regularly decreasing price ne re- ceived annually practically the same gross returns. The advent ol ene Sontbern cotton factory about the close of this period increased the demand so | that in the fourth decade, while the | nroduction remained approximately the | same, the price doubled the return 70 the farmer.
 The Farmers Moses.
 The factory proved the farmers Moses. What he needs now is a Jo- seph. and this must be the developmsnt of commerce, which shall average The production of a series of years ana | thereby meet the worlds demands ana steady the price. To meet thls re- quirement, MT. Tompkins advosateo the issuance of a warehouse certlncate, which shall indicate not only the ac- tual storage of the cotton, but also show the quality and grade of the staple so stored. Such certificate, is- sued by responsible guarantee eompa- nfes, would be negotiable in all the | markets of the world. It would re- l lieye 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 sessiA q. was devoted to an address by Daniel DaVSupCrt VI Bridgeport. Conn, on the subject or "the necessity of organization, na- tional and local, by the manufacturers and the people" Following his ad- dress came the announcement or com mittees on resolutions, nominations rules and order and credentials The presentation and discussion If the re- port of the tAmmittee on interstate commerce closed the business of the day. An elaborate reception was ten- dered the visitors at the Capital City Club this evening.
 The features of tomorrows program will be an address by Samuel Spencer, President of the Southern Railway, the discussion of Canadian reciprocity by Eugene Foss of Massachusetts, and an oId-fashioned Georgia barbecue.
 The selection of the next place of meeting seems to lie betwen San Fran- cisco and New York. Ic is said that an effort will be made to carry tine lSo6 conven ton to the latter city and make it thN permanent meeting place of the Association.