Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-09-10
UNITY WITH LABOR
URGED BY FARMERS
President Barrett Opens National
Convention in Birmingham and
Pleads for Co-operation-Good
Roads Are Advocated.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Sept. with
about 200 delegates present, the national
convention of the Farmers Educational
and Cooperative union opened this morn
ing After listening to seven speeches Of
welcome by as many orators on behalf of
the city, the state farmers, the trades
council. the Business Mems league. the
board of trade, the State Federation OF
Labor and the American Federation OF
Labor and to one response to all these
the convention began it's business ses-
sion. President Charles Barrett made the
response.
The keynote of all the speeches was
the necessity for the farmer to join with
the trades union movement for his own
protection against the aggression of cap
ital. The speakers ali went on record
as against the employment of women or
children in the cotton fields or in the
mills.
PLEA FOR GOOD ROADS.
The only public address was upon the
sub5e<t of Good Roads" delivered by
Oscar w. Underwood, congressman from
the local district. Underwood made a
stirring appeal to the farmers to aid in
every way the movement for good roads
as one of the strongest factors in the
advancement Of the agriculturist.
This address closed the open meeting
Of the convention, and the union went
into executive session. The principal top
les to be discussed will be the extension
of the movement, the fixing of the price
of cotton, and the best means to COM
pei members to hold their crop for this
price.
also arrange for the erection of more
warehouses
BARRETT GIVEN CUP.
After tho regular speeches were con-
cluded, the Georgia delegation presented
President Barrett with handsome silver
loving cup. ], L. Broune. of GTeenville,
made the presentation.
Farmers Probe Prices of Cotton,
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Sept. s.-Notwith-
standing the committees named by Presi-
dent Barrett in the Farmers union con-
vention have been hard at work over
night. the more important of these COM
mittees, the committee on cotton holding
and the minimum price of the long and
short staple, will hardly be expected to
submit a report until late this afternoon
or before noon tomorrow.
The delegates are transacting their
business quietly and are refraining from
giving out a great amount of informa-
ton.
PRICES ARE DISCUSSED.
Several figures as to minimum price for
the short and long staple are heard un-
der discussion, but nothing definite will
be spoken of until the report OF the COM
mittee has been submitted and the report
adopted by the convention. A resolution
was adopted today providing one thou
sand dollars per annum for Mrs. Newt
Gresham, of Point, Tex, widow of the
founder of the union. Mrs. Gresham and
| two daughters were in the convention
today.
Every committee named will have some
kino of report to submit to the convcn-
tiop, the address of President Barrett
arousing much interest.
REPORTS OF OFFICERS.
Reports of officers of the union have
been heard and a compliance with many
of the suggestions offered promises to be
noted
Reports from some sources say that the
minimum price to be agreed upon will be
Is cents. The committee for this problem
has been carefully picked and is headed
, by d. J. Neill, of Texas, a well inform
ed cotton authority.
Members of the convention all predict
short crop-varying between 1000 900
and 10.e0o.0 900 bales. Georgia delegates say
that the crop of that state will be 100000
bales.