The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-10
Wants S5O,OOO for An
 nual State Exhibit.
President of Agricultural Association in Open Letter Asks Each Mem- her of LegfsIature to Vote
 for Bill.

Support and endorsement of an an- nuaI transportation of $50,000 for pre- mfums at the annual State fairs or the Alabama Agricultura1 Association | in Montgomery were solicited rom eV- cry member of the Legislature In a letter mailed to each of them yester- day by W. F. Vandiver, President o1 the Alabama Agricultural Association. In the letter attention was drawn 10 inc fact that the bill will be introduced later asking for this appropriation to nromote and stimulate the agricultural and live stock interests of the State. The appropriation is to be applied Tn premiums on agricultural products and livestock.
 The possibilities of agriculture in Alabama are pointed out at length by MT Vandiver In his communication. and he maintains that the State has done nothing for the farmers of the State except tax them. Mir. Vandiver believes the farmer should be offered the opportunities of realizing the inn portance of more scientific and more business-like methods.
 The President of the Agricultural As- sociation declares that an appropria- tion. such as sought, will benefit the farming interests more than any other movement.
 In his letter he suggests plan for handling the annual appropriation, which should be in the hands of a commission composed of the Governor of the State, the Commissioner of Az riculture and the President of the Ag- ricultural Association.
 MT. vandiver's letter follows
 Montgomery. Ala, Jan. z, 1907.
 My Dear Sir-You have doubtless been advised (due legal notice having been given) of the intention of the Alabama Agricultural Association to ask, at the hands of the Legislature, an appropriation of $50, ,00es per annum to be applied as premiums on agricultural products and live stock placed on ex- hibition at the annual fairs of the As- sociation, at Vandiver Park, Montgom- cry, Ala.
 We take the liberty of addressing you on the subject. so you may be ad- vised in advance of presentation of the bill. of the reasons prompting this ap- pfication, and also of the results which we believe will obtain to the State at large by virtue of such an appropria- ton.
 The State of Alabama Is primarily an agricultural State. True, it has great mineral wealth. and is destined to be one of the leading States of the Union in the production of coal and iron, and in the manufacture of iron and steel articles. However, its agri- cultural facilities have held and will always hold, a most important place in itg material wealth. It Is an old maxim that agriculture is the founda- ton of a nations power.' So with the State. Our every institution is more or less directly dependent upon, or largely influenced by agriculture. This being true, it is essential that we should, as a State, do everything pos- 5ible to foster and encourage this, one of the greatest sources of our well fare. The organization of the South ern Cotton Association and the Farm CTS Union insures us we think, for the future, that we will never again have to submit to ruinous prices for our most remunerative agricultural pro- duct-cotton.
 Nothing But Tax Farmers.
 "The State. while it has maintained an Agricultural Department, which has always been most efficient in the prose- cution of its duty. has done practi- cally nothing for the farmers of the State, except tax them. and we think 1t now time something were being done to benefit the farming interests so that they may assume that position which. because of our natural advantages, we are entitled to occupy.
 "There is no necessity of referring to the agriculturist as the poor farmer The farmer is. or should be, the most independent man on earth. He Is to- day offered more opportunities for ac- cumulating an independent fortune than the follower of any other voca- ton, with the possible exception of few accidental speculative schemes. All that is necessary is to offer opportuni- ties for them to realize the importance of more scientific and more business like methods. This can be done by of fering annually opportunities for ob- servation along these lines: for seeing the results that others are obtaining by such processes.
 count of its location and climatic con ditions, offers more opportunities for