The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-05

But the Newman company is not the only one in the lumber area that finds labor scarce. notwithstanding the cry of hard times. MT. F. E. Parks of Gandsi, whose mill that of the Mason Lumber Company, has never been closed. stated in this city this week that the remark able feature of the present dullness In the sawmilling business. with all the many mills shut down, is that the ne- groes are just as independent as they ever were, and were just as hard to get to work. They are not unwilling to work at the reduced wages that are off, fered them, but they are unwilling to work at any figure At least it Is hard for the mills to get them.
 The trouble is undoubtedly due to the fact that the negroes rave to a great extent taken to agriculture, driven to that course by the closing down of the mills and the consequent cessation of factory employment The number of ne- groes that have gone to agricultural pursuits from the yellow pine country is phenomenal. Hundreds and thousands of families have been taken up to the Delta to work on the big plantations. and oth- CT thousands have taken to the cut-over lands of this section In the Hatties- burg area, from Meridian to New Or leans and from Jackson to Gulfport, there is not an old deserted field that
  there is not a fence corner that is not planted with seed of some kind. Old cabins out in the woods, deserted years ago by the lumbermen, have been occu- pied by the negroes, and the surrounding patches of cleared ground are given ov- CT to the blow. The crop of cotton and
 truck in this section will be the greatest ever known this year, but in the mean i time the mills will whistle for labor. 
 The Mississippi Pine association, fol- 1 lowing upon it's recent annual election 1 of officers and the infusion of new l blood into its controlling boards, has de
 termined to put in year of energetic 1 and vigorous work, and to broaden its | scope of operations. The board of di | reetors has just concluded it's inita
 meeting at the headquarters in this city l There were present President J. F. Wild l CT, Secretary E. A. Ewing, and Messrs. T l.. O'Donnell of Sandford, P. M. lkeler oi 1 Moselle, Thomas Caruth of Rosine, G S. Hemeter of Seminary, R. N. Stead
 man of Griffin, T. E. Park of Gandsi and w. c. Rodgers of this city The as 1 sociation will establish, in connection 1 with the secretary's office, an employ l ment bureau, where mill employees of al | grades can learn of suitable openings 1 and where the employers can leave theil | orders for help of all grades. This is ( | line of effort that has been sadly need ed in times past. Private employment | agencies have heretofore attempted tt | attend to the work, but with a success | that has been only measurable. It i' l probable that some of the large mills will, through Secretary Walker, endeavol | to get in line with the tide of immigra l ton that is coming by way of New Or l leans, and endeavor to divert some oi | it to the sawmill country
 l The association will also take up in a 1 more general way the matter of claim l collection for the mills that are repre- l sented in the association membership 1 Already something has been done along | this line, but only in an experimental | way. The work has been found highly | satisfactorily to the membership, and il l will be given special attention hereafter l and made a distinct and separate branch l of the secretarys office. | The new board of directors have ar 1 ranged. to hold monthly meetings hereaf- | ter. and the association will be given a positive standing and influence among the mill men