The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-12
A WEEK IN SIXTH DISTRICT
 WITH ROBSON AND PARTY
BY WALTER HARPER.

-ah ''sff3 ~-fS-
 , months ago before many transactions
 were closed
 Many men who have timber lands and had been tempted to sell are congratu- lating themselves on the fact that they have not sold.
 MT. Hall like all the other men in the party. is polished man of high educa- tional attainment, is thoroughly familiar with every detail of his subject, and has most pleasant manner of adapting his l discussions to the understanding of his l hearers.
 While Captain Hobson presides at all the meetings, he is keeping himself in
 the background and is pushing the men forward.
 At times he boils over with enthusiasm
 on every subject discussed and makes | a strong appeal to the people to stand by him in the fight he proposes to make in Congress for the enactment of laws along practical lines for their material welfare. He impresses upon them the fact
 they must make taeir needs known and back him up in his demands for recog-
 nitlon for the Sixth district.
 At the close of every meeting he calls on the people who have any requests to
 make or desire literature on any of the
 subjects treated by the speakers to give
 their names and wants to his secre,sry,
 who records them in a register carried for the purpose. Hundreds of names and special requests have been taken In this way, and Secretary Clarkson is one of the busiest men in the company
 Each of the department officials came supplied with a large amount of litera-
 ture giving information on the subjects discussed, which is distributed at the close of each meeting.
 .jo great Is the demand for this litera- ture that several new shipments have
 been received by hurry telegraph order.
 The head officials of the departments at Washington have l.ept in close touch with the men all along l.ie route, and have in- quired particularly after the amount of interest that is being taken by the peo- pie.
 They seem to regard the work as most important experiment and they have given the men on the trip to understand that they are more than pleased with re- suits as reported so far.
 Photographs of views and characteris- tie conditions along the way are being taken, which will be carried to Wash ington as a part of the general reports of the visiting ohieials.
 Some of these views are of great in- terest and will no doubt create much favorable interest in the departments
 feature of noteworthy interest in the tour Is the non-political manner in
 which 1t Is conducted.
 People who opposed Captain Hobson's election are attending the meetings, and are showing as much interest in the diS
 cussons as his most ardent supporters.
 Now and then expressions of criticism are heard by some of his most bitter enemies, but this is remarkably rare. 1 They seem to recognize the unsellsh de-
 sire on the part of Captain Hobson to do something in a practical way for the
 benefit of his district and are taking live interest in the educational work that
 is being done.
 At Suligent Captain Hobson stopped at
 the Banlxhead hotel which is conducted by a brother of ex-Congressman John
 H. Bankhead. whom Captain Hobson de- feated. Captain Hobson was treated with
 marked eordiality by MT. Bankhead and
 every member of his family. Though there is no politics in the pres | ent tour there Is no question but that
 captain Hobson in his work of real bene- l fit is gaining a firm lold on the people l tbat will pc hard to shake, and though
 it may not be intended in any way as 1 political campaigning it is a service that | might be well employed by other con-  l gresSmen as means of holding the
 good will and suffrage of their consti- | tuents. It remains to be seen how popu-
 lar the plan may become with congress-
 men In other districts of the country.
 Sam C. Lancaster. the good roads man, i received a telegram from Mir Page, head i of the good roads division Thursday or 1 dering him to Memphis next Tuesday, l to address a meeting of business men and state officials to discuss good roads 1 and the reclamation of swamp lands in the southern states. Mr. Lancaster will | address the meeting.
 He will only be gone one day and two
 nights, and will rejoin the Hobson party
 Wednesday morning to complete the tour. 1 State Superintendent of Agriculture j.. l A. Wilkerson, has asked permission to ! 1oin the party, and will probably spend
 next week with captain Hobson, falling l in at Jasper Monday.