The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-09-17
COTTON MEN MEET
 IN MONTGOMERY
Convention Called for Septem-
 Der % By Seymour
]. G. HARRIS IS SILENT
Nominee for Railroad Commission Will Not Discuss Contest Filed With
 State Committee By
 H. c. Compton.


 Montgomery, September 16.-(Special)- The Alabama division of the Southern Cotton association has been called to meet in the city of Montgomery Septem- Der 25. President W. H. Seymour an- nouncing the date this morning. He is sending notices of the meeting all over the state and said that he was assured of large attendance. There is the great est interest in the cotton situation at this time and MT. Seymour is being cor dially supported by the rest of the state in, the trying time of marketing the crop.
 The meeting called for September 25, Is to hear from President Harvie Jordan of the Southern Cotton association, Field Agent E. D. Smith of the same organiza- tion and s. A. Witherspoon, member Of the executive committee from Mississip- pi. These men are making a trip to the 1 state divisions in order to come in per sonal contact with the men of the rank and file and talk with them of the crop and it's marketing. The situation in the east will be out,ned by President Jor- dan, who Is just back from the session of the spinners at Lake Champlain.
 President Seymour Is not at all san 1 gulne about the Alabama crop. He is yet of the opinion that the output will fall to 1000, GOO bales and generally make a poor showing. So far. as reports reach him there is a general adherence to the plan to keep the staple off the market. This Is evidenced by the fact that only few bales were seen on the square to- day. which is unusual at this time on I Saturday. The price also has picked up within the past fewNdays.
 MT. Seymour points out that the spin ners used up last year 12,1S6,OOO bales of cotton, s4o,OOO bales more than was made. l Though they paid only an average of Il cents, they sold their products on a basis of 121a cents, and the farmers might ] had had that price for the staple if they had marketed with good judgment. MT. 1 Seymour urges the planters to keep this in mind and not lose money by too gerat haste to get the cotton sold.
 Tt is fact the crop east of the Mississippi this year is less than last" said MT. Seymour, though west of the river more, or as much as last year will be made. This Is sure to bring about a 1 reduction In the output of the section and 1 give us a small crop. For that reason I want to impress the idea of care in marketing and attention to gathering so that the best price may be obtained. I l have heard of number of complaints of insect damage, but as a rule these are local My impression Is that the crop will not go over 12,000 600 and if that Is so the price should not be less than 12la cents pound"
 | Insurance Agitation.
 Alabama life insurance men who are not writing the special contract carried by one or two companies, are up in the air and seem to be ripe for any kind of d revolt. A state agent of one of the large companies said yesterday that the special contract had almost put him out of bus- ness and that others had suffered in the same way. It is impossible almost for the old line fellows to meet the special con tract features in competition.
 Secretary of State k. R. McDavid, who is ex-officio insurance commissioner, said yesterday that he had no way to put the objectionable company out of the state. He had submitted the contract to the attorney general and that official had said that as long as the special contract alone is written it Is not in violation of the state laws. If any other is attempted 1t will be, and the insurance commissioner can at once cancel the license of the of lending company
 As it is. however, MT. McDavid seems to be powerless to interfere He has asked for further advice from the attorney gen eral and may be able to do something along another line, that being whether, in case the policyholder had to sue, would he not be powerless If the Alabama law is violated by any feature of the contract Insurance men from every section of the state are beseiging MT. McDavid to do something, and he will be glad to do wahtever the law authorizes to procect any of the interests of the underwriters.
 The receipts for the state board of con vict inspectors from the hire of state convicts for the month of August as re- ported by the president of the board. Dr. Shirley Bragg, were $S3. .045 16, which is far more than has ever been received from the same source for the same length of time. It is more than in August of last year by $2O,OOO.
 Every month this year the earnings of the state convict department have gone by the same month of the year before by large sum and the total is way up be- yond what it was last year, both gross and net. The work of the state wards is proving of greater value all the time, while the health of the prisoners has never been so good.
 The receipts for July of this year were $S0, ,56S 36, as compared to $51 ,S3S. .72 the same month last year, an increase of nearly $30 ,000. The next report, which will be the annual report, will show that Sep tember has exceeded even August, which was the banner month
 The friends of Dr. Bragg are happy to have him home again. He has been in the east some weeks under treatment and comes back feeling a great deal bet ter While he was away the office was in the hands of Associate Inspector M w. Camper most of the time. Dr. Nat G. Stark, physician inspector, made num- Der of trips over the state during the time and had a look at all the camps
 Expense Accounts.
 Gen. William c. Oates grows facetious in his statements of expenses while run ming for alternate senator in the recent democratic campaign. He testified that he paid $70 for hired canvassers who were worthless" to him. and that ito infiu- ence men to vote for me- not cent in the world. He then says that his expenses were as follows: Newspapers, $100; circu- lars, s17.50; stenographers s26O; postage and stationery. SIG; advertising appoint ments to speak, $36; livery, $11; railroad fare, $71; hotel $160; canvassers (worth- less), $70; assessment of the state commit tee $50. Total, $S91.50.
 In about the same run of expenses A. F. Melee, who ran for secretary of state, spent the following sums: Assessment, s3O. postage, s65.60; hotels, $S10; daily news papers. sG305; weekly papers, $76.05; print
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