The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-08
BANNER MEETING
 AT NEW ORLEANS Southern Planters Will Assem-
 bIe Next Week GREAT CROWD IS EXPECTED Cotton Is Being Marketed This Sea son Under Very Different condi- tons and the Plan Is to Make
 Improvement Permanent.
GREAT CROWD IS EXPECTED

New Orleans. January -(special.)-The first annual convention of the Southern Cotton Growers association, which will be held here January II, F, IS, will prob- ably break all previous records in the annals of agricultural meetings, both in attendance and in prominence Thus far a surprisingly large number of hotel res ervations have been made, indicating that many prominent and wealthy planters will participate in the proceedings.
 Careful selection has been made in the matter of platform timber and none but those men best qualified through experi- ence and training have been requested to address the delegates on timely and in- teresting topics. During the past year or two the cotton growing industry has undergone some radical changes through which the balance of power has fallen to the farmer. This is the result, primarily, of the improved financial status of the cotton producer; secondly, of the im- mensey augmented spinners' require- ments for raw cotton. With these condi- tions as a working basis, the southern farmers have, through education, practi- cal demonstration and a newly developed business sagacity, swept away the arbi- trary domination of the spinner and the speculator, completely upset the time-hon- ored market methods which favored the spinner and the speculator, and brought the export buyer of actual cotton to the interior. thus eliminating a large class of middlemen who for nearly a year have not shared in any of the profits of the business.
 Maps Out Conservative Campaign.
 There are many farmers in the south who realize that they are now market ing their cotton under changed and very much improved conditions, but very few of them understand fully just what has happened nor how these altered con- ditions may be made permanent and fur ther improved upon These subjects will be discussed fully at the convention next week, and a conservative campaign for the future will be mapped out.
 Another subject that will receive spe- cial attention is that of diversifcation, or rather the growing and raising on each farm of a larger percentage of the food stuffs feed, cattle and other requirements of the farmer, thus. even in off years rendering him more independent of the cotton market than he is now with money in the bank. Money in the bank repre- sents actual cash earning power which may be turned to full account when slow marketing of cotton is necessary only when the farmer through his own home enterprise and good management has a well filled barn. smoke house and pantry, when his home-bred horses mules and cattle cover his pastures and when he IS called upon to pay only minimum profits to some other man for the things he needs on his farm. The farmers of the north and west have long ago learned the personal value of such thrift, and have profited immensely thereby.
 Benefits of Personal Experience.
 At the convention the delegates will be given the benefit of personal experience along these lines as they will also be shown the effect of large and small cot ton crops on the spinner and the world s trade in manufactured cotton goods, the rapidly increasing importance of Japan as a consumer of American cotton and the part that little nation Is destined to play in clothing the yellow races, hundreds of millions in number in cotton goods made from the product of the southern states. President Jordan has planned serious business meeting involving immense pos abilities for good but there will also be a pleasure programme, the gay season preceding the New Orleans carnival with it's balls, fetes. theatres and other diver sions contributing thereto. The commit tee of arrangements would not be sur prised to see some five thousand delegates come to the convention and are making their arrangements accordingly.