The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-18
CONVENTION IS
FULL OF INTEREST
WOmen'S Christian Temperance
Union Meets At Port Gibson
FOR WIRELESS BANQUETS
Convention Passes Resolutions Asking
Cities of Mississippi That Will
Entertain Taft to Serve No
Wine at Banquets.

Jackson, Miss. October 17.-(Speeial.)-
Delegates from this city to the annual
convention of the Mississippi w. c. T. T.,
w4ieh met in Port Gibson, have returned
home, and report very successful gath
ering as well as gratifying reports from
all sections of the state.
Officers were elected as follows: Mrs.
Harriet B. Kells, president; Mrs. Marion
B. Longino, vice president-at-large; Mrs.
Emily w Featherstun, corresponding sec
Rotary; Mrs. Clara c. Cox, recording sec
rotary; Mrs S. Ella Stanley treasurer.
Delegates were elected to the national
W. c. T. L.. which meets at Omaha. Neb.,
October % to 81 and Mrs. Kells leaves
here for that city next Monday. Mrs.
Kels was also elected as the Mississippi
delegate to the worlds w C. T. L. BIZ
ennial convention. which meets in Glas-
gov. Scotland. June to II next. This
is an honor worthily bestowed. as Mrs.
Kels has been fighting the battles of the
organization for a quarter of century
or more, and has done as much or more
than any other one person to drive the
saloons from the state of Mississippi.
BY unanimous vote the Port Gibson con-
vention resolved that the four cities of
this state to be visited by President Taft
should be asked to serve wineless ban
ouets in his honor out of Difference to his
well-known total abstinence habits.
Resolutions were also passed declaring
for constitutional prohibition. for an anti
cigarette law. against the locker system
by the social clubs, for making women
eligible as assistant physicians in state in
stitutions where women are received,
against liquor advertisements in newspa-
pers and on billboards. for raising the age
of consent to IS years, and for leaving
nothing undone to secure congressional
legislation which will give prohibition
states exclusive control of the importation
of intoxicating liquors within their bor-
ders.
Commissioner of Agriculture Blakeslee
is convinced that the state of Mississippi
could use a number of convicts to great
advantage in the manufacture of lime for
the Improvement of the thousands of
acres of wornout lands on which crops
not worth the labor expended In their
making are being cultivated. 1t Is a rec
ognized fact that many soils are deficient
In lime, and lime preparations are being
sold over the country at from 81 to Sl2
per ton. The state prison management
announces that it must have more lands
for the rapidly increasing prison popula-
ton and it is suggested that by employ
ing them in the manufacture of lime to
be sold to the farmers of the state at
cost Ii might be unnecessary to purchase
more lands.
There are several great deposits of lime
in Mississippi-at least the lime rock Is
here-and there was a time when lime
was made of this rock. Many years ago
there was a lmekiln in Rankin county,
10 miles east of Jackson. the remains or
the old stone buildings being yet In evil
denoe from the A and " car windows.
The rock deposit is inexhaustible In that
vicinity, and in close proximity to the
state farm, II not cropping out on the
farm. The process of making lime Is
cheap one. and II 1t is valuable an
agent of plant food as reppted. the sug-
gestion is not at ell bad.
The petition recently fled by the Cum
berland Telephone company with the
railroad commission for authority to In
crease rates because of the damage done
to the company's lines by the storm OF
September 20, has not as yet been acted
on, but 1t is understood that the commits
sion is opposed to granting same, and that
the increase will not be allowed.
/ 1t is recalled that the cost of telephone
! service has been increased to a consid-
cradle extent during the past two or three
years, and 1t is known there would be
great howl II further increase was per-
/ mitted by the constituted authorities over
| such matters.
| For instance, 1t is shown that cheap
! night rates have been abolished by the
| telephone companies, and that it now
| costs Just as much to send message at
night as by day. 1t is also claimed that
| free county service has been abolished.
and that the cost Of telephone service to
farmers and others in the rural districts
| has been largely increased.
| The commission doubtless feels great
sympathy for the telephone companies
whose wires were laid low by the fury of
the storm king. but appreciates the fact
that the same applies to the telegraph
companies, the railroads and thousands of
private individuals, all being sufferers ON
| the same account