The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-13
WORK DONE BY TIE
 FARMERS UNION Mississippi Members Assemble
 In Convention ADDRESS OF HIGHTOWER President of the Union Reviews Years Work and Urges Stronger Efforts In Carrying Out Purposes
 of the Order.
ADDRESS OF HlGHT0WER

Jackson, Miss, January 12.-(Special) l. The State Farmers union met at represen tatives hall yesterday with about 300 dele. gdtes present, and President G. R. High tower of Lafayette county presiding. The other state officers are T. R. Palmer. Mon. roe county, vice president; c. ". Russell Hinds county, secretary treasurer; J. l. Collins, state business agent. Hinds coun- ty; w w. Bradshaw, Rankin county state lecturer
 President Hightower's annual address reviewed the work done by the union during the past year and showed the or ganization in a 1ourshing condition SC far as growth of members is concerned He admitted that the union had not been able to accomplish all it had un- dertaken, especially in the matter of main- taining prices of cotton, but attributed that to the lack of money and cooper ation and predicted that success would yet crown their efforts
 President Hightower urged the mainten- ance of the office of state business agent, as it Is a self-supporting part of their work and had secured to the members bet ter prices for fertilizers and heavy goods generally than they could otherwise have i secured He urged that the union estab- l fish newspaper as an organ of it's own, ] to be owned and managed by the union, l and that same should be sent free to the members of the order. He declared that most of the banks of the state had joined forces with the farmers and that they had taken care of all the cotton possible There were some banks that showed an unfriendly spirit and in all such cases he urged that the farmers organize and patronze banks of their own
 State Superintendent of Education Pow CTS also addressed the union at great length, reviewing the efforts of the farm CTS of the country at organization in the Grange and the Alliance and declared that the ideas put forth in those organizations had been reincarnated in the union and that their efforts would be crowned with victory in due course of time. He showed how and where the southern farmers are being robbed by the trusts and combines and their chief crop forced on the mar ket at less than the cost of production, while their brethren of the north and west control the prices of their chief cona- modities and force prices through thorough organization.
 The state superintendent devoted good deal of time to a discussion of the sub ject of education along industrial lines, and urged his hearers to stand by and support the Agricultural High schools that have been provided for each county in the state, though several of them have turned down the proposition. thus doing their own children incalculable injury. He had visited the great states of the east last fall and there saw how children are being trained and educated for work with their hands as well as with their heads. In the city of Lynn, Mass, the great shoe center of the country, he found building costing s250.O 600 with $50,000 worth of machinery, where children were being taught the art of making shoes. Even in New York and other states he found a great deal of attention being paid to industrial and agricultural education one state that has but one-tenth the farming area of Mississippi having and boosting l of % magnificent agricultural schools.
 The afternoon session of the union was of an executive character, the reports of 1 sub-officlals being made and considered. Tonight Oscar Newton of Brookhaven, president of the State Bankers associa- ton, addressed the meeting on the sub jet of banks and banking, and the com bined interests of the banks with those of i the farmers of the country. He assured ! the cotton growers that the banks were ready to assist them in every legitimate l way to hold their cotton, and that they 1 had already been doing so according to l promise.
 i The Rev R. A. N. Wilson of Bates 1 vile, one of the most prominent workers l in the ranks of the union delivered the second address of the night session, and was listened to with close attention. He 1 is one of the most entertaining takers in | the state, no matter what the subject and kept his large audience in an uproar ] from start to finish. The union will elect l officers in executive session. It has been understood that there would be strong l opposition to the reelection of Presi- dent Hightower, but it has not developed so far. Former President Bass of Copiah 1 county is here. but he has stated that he | is not candidate for president, and the | chances seem to be that President High l tower will be chosen as his own successor, | and that the policy outlined in his address l will be carried out.
 Business Picking Up.
 It has been admitted if not boast. l ed for the past six months that "hard ! times" had been lifted from Mississippi and that business was picking up 1T every quarter There does not seen to be any doubt about the improve ment of business-all mills and fac. tories now running on full time oi double shifts to keep pace with thei
 orders and everybody seems as bus as bees in a tar bucket. But it is
 noticeable and is a lamentable anC regrettable fact that never before 1T
 the history of newspaperdom in tn
 state were the columns of the week., press so filled with trustee sales,
 "commissioner's sales" and other clos ings out by distress. Every count.
 paper picked up has from one to
 dozen such sales advertised and the.
 either show scarcity of money o
 that the money lenders are getting
 skittish and have refused to furthe
 extend notes and other evidences o
 indebtedness
 There never was a time when tn
 pessimist, the knocker and the croak
 CT should have been permitted to liv
 in any community, but the saddest o news Is bound to be told sooner o
 later and the sooner the better, so tha
 the remedy can be applied if possible
 According to the published bank state
 ments there is more cash on deposi
 than ever before in Mississippi an
 scarcity of money cannot be the caus
 of the foreclosures advertised to b
 made If not scarcity. then 1t mus be timidity of capital--the money lend
 CT preferring to accept the small in : terest allowed by the banks than tn larger per cent paid by the indi
 vidual.