The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-28
COMER ADVISES
 WITH MR. GRAY
Prepares for Emergency in His
 Absence from State
<dAY TALKS ON PROHIBITION
Believes That Movement Will Succeed In Birmingham, and Favors 1t Though He Rents Property
 to Saloon Men,

Though He Rents Property
 to Saloon Men.
 Montgomery. August Especial )-In his caution that all may be well while he is out of the state Governor Conner had Lieutenant Governor Henry B. Gray down with him last (Monday) night to talk over state matters and post the lat ter so that in case any emergency should arise there would be no hitch in the ad- ministration of the affairs of the common wealth. MT. Gray spent an hour with the governor and discussed with him many of the questions now pending or in an- ticipaton. After the conference the dep uty executive met few friends at tn, hotel and later departed for Pensacola. where he will be couple of days on business.
 While there was little of a significant nature talked of by Mir. Gray while here so far as pending state questions arc concerned, it is a fact that he left some of the liquor men shaking by his confident assertion that not only would Jefferson county cut out the sale of booze in short time, but the state as we'll To a suggestion that it would hurt the busi- ness of Birmingham he replied: Why should it?. How do they know it would? :? I am not afraid of it and other business men are not. It may make changes in valuations 1t is true, but l am willing to give it trial and see what comes of it."
 Gray OH Prohibition.
 MT. Gray went into the objection that it would reduce tho values of real es- tate. He doubts this, but he said he ha property rented to saloons. '1f it cuts down the rents from this, let it do SO" he said. "I am willing to lay that much on the altar for the good of the boys of the state, mine with the rest Let t come. l also believe that within sheTt time there will be prohibition in the state There Is q feeling that the people are going to put 1t out. Liquor men have been too lax in keeping the laws and the laws are going to be made to stop their | business. They are reaping where they have sown''
 The effect of the fight in Birmingham by the anti liquor forces is being ie flected in Montgomery. number of anti saloon people have in the past few weeks talked of 1t. They say that the failure of the city council to increase the license onJ liquor selling while 1t has been put up on othe businesses, indicates that the saloon men have too good hold and one that should be broken. It is predicted that ere long there will be be- gun here a movement to eliminate the traffic There is a feeling that is thought to be generating into activity many of l 4I.. Af t.rl,A look ahead take it that the capital city will in the end join Jefferson county and Georgia and that the wave will sweep over the country.
 Havoc By Worms.
 The boil worm is doing great damage to the cotton crop in Escambia and neighboring counties and is spreading to other sections of the state, according to reports that reach President W. H. Sey mour of the Alabama Cotton association. He has just received box of the worms from w. J. Holland, tax assessor of Escambia county, which are about as live as any bunch of wigglers that has ever been shown in these parts. The worms are of the catapllar family, with long jagged looking legs and they bore into the cotton boil like woodpecker into an old tree.
 In the box received from MT. Holland there were half dozen large bolls and some squares and dozen or so of the worms, all in an active state of health. They were going in and out the holes which they had bored In the cotton bolls as if it was up to them to put their house in order Some were half out of the holes. taking in the situation in lazy and contented manner. while others were dashing about in a frantic effort to get out of sight. A few of the chill dren of the family lay still as if they knew what was required of good chill dren
 MT Holland said that he sent different sizes of the bols and of the insects in order that it might be seen how they work on the plant In all it's stages. He expressed the belief that they de- structive to the plant as the boil weevil where they attack the late crop They showed up about August 20 on a crop that was planted late and have been SD busy that he will make only about third of a crop, he says. They have been reported In other parts of the county, MT. Holland says, and he fears they will De destructive to many hundreds of the bons that otherwise would yield richly. He Is anxious to have some help if there is any way to secure it.
 MT Seymour says that he has heard of the boil worm In other counties, Mont gomery not escaping. They are in less numbers in many parts of the state and he is fearful that they will cut the crop down very much. They are a vindctive sort of insect and cut and saw with a will and energy that gets the crop where they attack In bad shape very soon. He hopes to get some help to the farmers who are suffering, giving the situation much hard study to that end
 State Briefs.
 Governor Conner is to get away We'd nesday evening for his vacation, if noth- ing comes up to head him off He says he Is willing to let matters take their course for awhile. It now seems certain that he will call an extra session of the legislature for November. He will include in the business of the session a bill for the epileptic colony, that passed by the legislature just ended being in some way defective.
 The governor has paroled John R. Caf- fey, a negro boy, who was sent up for highway robbery, the victim being mo- torman of the Traction company. He Is a son of Abe caffey. who organized negro soldiers in this section for the Spanish American war The boy is epileptic and the street railway people, with many others, asked for his release.
 The state board of pardons was in ses- sion this week, but nothing was given