The Billings gazette., 1909-03-05
PRELIMINARY ARRANGEMENTS
BY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
FORM BOARDOFCONTROL
Committee Appointed to Solicit Funds
and Another Committee to Prepare
for Holding a state Convention to
Form a Board of Control.

Preliminary arrangements for pro-
noting the dry farming congress,
which will be heldsin Billings next
November, wore taken yesterday
afternoon BY the Chamber of Com
merce<6 the first meeting of the new
board of trustees.
A committee of five consisting of P.
B. Moss, DR.. w. x. Sudduth, Fred E.
Keil, R. e. Shepherd and e. B. Camp
was appointed to arrange for the hold
ing of a convention of the leading men
of the state to be composed of dele
gates from every county for the pur-
pose of organizing a Montana board
of control for the coming congress, to
take charge of advertising it and to
arrange for exhibits.
DR.. w. X. Sudduth was named as
manager of the display for Yellow
stone county and as sort of general
overseer for arranging for displays
! from other counties until the organiza-
ton of the board of control is COM
pleted. DR.. Sudduth will at once visit
the farmers of the county and urge
them to enter in competition in the
displays at the congress, which will
be one of it's main features.
AS a temporary committee of three
to solicit funds for entertaining the
congress and for advertising it
George Bennighoff, H. w. Rowley and
]. G. West were appointed In this
connection it was explained by one
of the trustees that it would require
several thousand dollars to properly
boost and prepare for the congress,
ten thousand dollars of which would
have to be contributed by Montanans
and probably as much by the rail
roads, which are interested. 1t was
suggested that $4,000 should be raised
in Billings, about $4,000 in the state
at large and then the railroads should
be solicited to contribute. There was
some talk of securing the services of
John T. Burns, who was secretary OF
the congress, as secretary of the board
of control to boost the congress. He
draws $1,000 from the congress, but it
only requires a portion of his time.
He will be in Billings in a few days
to meet with those interested and dis
cuss the feasibility of coming here.
He wants $4,000 salary from Billings
1t was the consensus of opinion OF
the trustees that the boosting of the
congress should be done by the board
of control and Independent of the
Chamber of Commerce, which will
maintain it's identity and will be con-
Quoted for the purpose of boosting
Billings and all the territory tribu-
tary, paying particular attention, to no
special district.
Several of the trustees made short
talks during the meeting upon the con-
gress. P. B. Moss urged the trustees
that arrangements should be made to
properly finance and advertise it.
George Bennighoff declared it was one
of the biggest things that has ever
been brought to Montana. DR.. Sud
duth urged that there should be left
no stone unturned to have the exhibits
from Montana at the congress the
very best, and he said that particular
attention should be paid to the grow.
ing of forage crops. He said that the
government had agreed to furnish
seed for experiments in the growing
of such crops. He said that arrange
ments for the exhibits just be made
now while the seeding time is here.
Great enthusiasm as to the possibil-
tiles of the congress was manifested
by all the trustees.
The matter of organizing board of
control will probably be discussed fur
ther at a luncheon which the trustees
will hold Monday noon in the grill
room of the Northern hotel.