The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-28
COMMITTEE NAMED
 BY HIGHTOWER
Farmers Unions Will Discuss
 Important Subjects
CROP CONDITION IS GOOD
Vegetables Are Thriving In Southern sissippi-Deputy Revenue Agent Chiles Is Working on An
 other License Case.

JackSOni MlSS.s January 2h-tSpeclal) J. President George R. Hightower of the Farmers union has named the commit tee as directed by the state convention held here a few days since, to select the subjects for discussion at the monthly meetings of the local unions all over the state. The members of that very inn portant committee are H. E. Blakeslee, state commissioner of agriculture. Jack son; William Smith of Holmes county. originator and prime mover of the boys corn clubs, and E. R. Lloyd, director of farmers institutes at the Agricultural and Mechanical college.
 The committee will select the subjects that are to be discussed by 5000 farmers of Mississippi at their local meetings on the same day. and the benefits to be derived from such a course of study are expected to be great. The subjects will always be on live farm topics, or mat ters of special interest to the agricul- turists of the country.
 c. M. Huber of Crystal Springs, who is the authority of the state on fruits and vegetables, has issued a letter in which he gives the condition of the prin- cipal vegetables declaring the season so far has been good, that most growers have planted their tomato seed, and the only trouble so far is that the plants are most too large for this time of the year
 Cabbage plants are in splendid condi- tion and promise well, but they are still in the cold frames as protection against the cold weather that is sure to come during the next 30 days. Two-thirds of the land to be devoted to English peas has been planted. Farm work generally in the great fruit and vegetable growing belt of the state is well advanced.
 Deputy Revenue Agent L. F. Chies, who has been very instrumental in work ing up the cases against the Singer Sew ing Machine company and which were recently decided by the federal court at New Orleans in favor of the state of Mississippi, Is now at work on the St. Louis Wrought Iron Range company, a concern which he declares has been doing great business in this state for sev- eral years without paying license of any kind, and which the state revenue agent will endeavor to compel to pay many thousands of dollars in the way of back taxes. just as he has the Singer people.
 The range company claims to be doing business under the interstate commerce law, in that they do not sell direct from their wagons or direct from warehouses where their ranges were stored by the carload, but according to the revenue off cer many sales have been found where no previous order had been given, but not enough to amount to any considerable tax has been located. Deputy Chiles sug- gests that it would be a good idea for those who have purchased ranges this way, that is, out of the wagon direct to drop a postal card to the revenue agent, and the case will be looked into He is confident that the tax to be recovered in this way from range companies and others of like character would amount to as much or more than will be recovered from the Singer Sewing Machine people, and that is estimated at about s1OO.0OO.
 Mrs. Dr. Richardson, widow of the member of the state board of health who was assassinated few weeks ago at Sturgess, Oktibbeha county, was in the city yesterday to consult Governor Noel about the assa ssination and the matter of the reward for the arrest of the assassin.
 One or two suspects are now under arrest, charged with complicity in the killing, but it Is not believed that the man who fired the shotgun that killed pr. Richardson has been apprehended.
 According to Mrs. Richardson her husband had received several notes of warning and threats that he would be killed If he did not let up in his prosecution of a gang of blind tigers. and so very persistent had the writers of these notes become that Dr. Rich ardson had made arrangements to move away from Sturgess and loDcate in Aberdeen by May l. He had said noth- ing of his intentions save to his wife and immediate family, but had it been known that he was going to get out of the community 1t Is possible that he would not have been killed.
 The battleship silver service commits sion met today to open bids on the ser vice, but owing to absence of ex-Gov ernor Vardaman who is in Texas lec turing, and who wired he would be home Wednesday, the commission ad- journed till that day.
 Mrs Eunice Lock wood, special agent of the commission, who has been visit ing every section of the state solicit ing sub scriptions for the fund, was present, and reported total collections of $60O4.7s. This with the S1755 col lected by Governor Vardaman during his administration, will swell the fund to $7755, or whereabouts, but the com mission has never paid Mrs. Lockwood anything on expense account, so that the sum now in sight will be reduced somewhat.
 The Meridian Telephone company re- ports to the railroad commission that for the quarter ending December 31 it's total receipts were $S4s9.36; expenses, $39355e; leaving net earnings, s4503.80. Out of this taxes and interest is to come.
 The Hattiesburg telephone company, the property of the same concern, re- ports total receipts of ss531.40; ex- penses. S1996.49, the net earnings being $153491 out of which taxes and in- terest are to come.
 Patents and Postal Changes. Washington, January 27.-(Special l. Patents issued F. A. Bern, Birmingham, tra in abad. D IJo milton Pirrniu0han da-