Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-02-19
A CAMDEN BANKER
 ELECTED CHAIRMAN
B. c. Powell Cashier of the First National Bank, of Camden, Heads Group Seven of Arkansas State Bankers Association, w hch Organized in Pine Bluff sday-Banquet and Theater Party Social Fea- tures-Dr Caldwell Delivers Address of Welcome

|of Trade, wit ha response by B. c. Powell, prominent financier and banker of Camden, Ouachita county. Each of the speakers was introduced happily by President Boyce.
 Dr. Caldwelps Speech.
 Dr. Caldwell welcomed the guests on behalf of the Pine Bluff Clearing House Association and the Pine Bluff Board of Trade. He said he felt like he used to think sinners ought to feel in the matter of preparing for their salvation in that he had neglected to prepare a welcome address, notWith- standing the fact that he had been told of his duties some weeks ago. There is no body of men, he said, 70 whom he could extend more cordial welcome than the bankers of south east Arkansas. He had always thought that the bankers were the leaders of communities, but he had learned different recently, when he ran for mayor and was defeated on the ground that he was a candidate of the banks of Pine Bluff He had extended an invitation to the state bankers to meet in Pine Bluff, he said, and that was an evidence that Pine Bluff wanted the bankers to come to this city-but the Little Rock bank CTS, who have way of voting early and often, had taken the meeting. He declared that the most important movement for the development of the state of Arkansas was the organiza- tion of the financial interests through out Arkansas. They know what is best for the state. No man can play the hermit and be broad guaged man, thus it is with the banker-no banker can accomplish anything of value without cooperating with the other bankers. You take money alone and you have nothing, but you take one figure and add several ciphers to it and you soon have a million.
 "We welcome you most cordially because you come here for the pur- pose of grouping together" contin ued Dr. Caldwell. He then made ref erences to Group Seven, which he said implied much, jokingly remarking that seven and eleben' are magnetic numbers Dr. Caldwell declared Pine Bluff to be the best and largest city in Arkansas, with possibly the ex ception of Little Rock, and you cau't get to Little Rock unless you pass through Pine Bluff. The mecca of Arkansas Is Pine Bluff. He disabused the minds of the bankers of the belief that there was a quicksand layer un- der this city. He referred to the river Improvements and declared that the caving of the river bank was bene- ficial, rather than detriment It called the attention of congress to the improvement of our harbor and will result in Pine Bluff being the entrance port to the great Arkansas river, per' mitting this city to fix rates for the whole state of Arkansas. He said $5r ,000 has already been spent ill strengthening the river banks and that $97,oO0 is yet to be expended here to give this city stone revetment from the western suburbs to the Cotton Belt shops. Dr. Caldwell closed his address with some happy remarks, which won him much applause.
 Mir. PeWe1fs Response.
 B. c. Powell of Camden, cashier of the First National Bank, was liberally applauded when he arose to speak. lie said.
 "Mr. Chairman, Gentlemen:-
 q am glad to have heard the words of welcome, as they have just fallen from the lips of your distinguished fellow townsman, and while we are made to feel more keenly the magni- tude of the invitation as 1t has been expressed, yet we feel that we are only listening to something that we knew would be awaiting us. The most of us. who have met here today, are familiar with the hospitality of Pine Bluff and her people, and it was for thls foreknowledge of what was in store for us that has put it into the minds and hearts of so many of us to be with you this morning. We rep