The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-25
VERY LITTLE DAMAGE DONE BY BOIL WEEv|[ Mississippi People Are More
 Independent Now PROSPERITY IS ASSURED Referee in Bankruptcy Says That There Are Fewer Failures Than Ever
 Before Known in His
 Experience
PROSPERITY IS ASSURED

Jackson. Miss, November 24.-(Speciai.
 Despite the fact that gloomy predictions
 have been plentiful and apprehension
 widespread of general disaster and busi
 ness stagnation brought anout oy i.'
 boil weevil no such thing has occurreu
 People have been cautions; banks haVe
 cu. credits to a safe and sane basis; mer- chants have been more discriminating III buying goods, and have bought oilis s,nff which would move easily, and the
 ultimate consumer has bought just as uttle as he could to get along with. Compared with the flush times the pre- ysiling price of cotton would nave brought four or five years ago times are
 tight now, but 1t has been sensloie contraction. It has pinched, here ana there and there be Jeremiahs in every
 community now who maintain stou'iy
 that the weevil has done for us.
 | The refutation of all this sort or | calamity talk is in the statement Of
 Referee in Bankruptcy F. M. West this morning.
 "There have been fewer bankruptcy cases coming into this office this fall than any year since I have had knowl- edge of the office, and that extends back some six years or more. At the same time there are fewer efforts to force peonle into involuntary bankruptcy. The volrme of business is comparatively noth- | ing in that line.
 "I am referee for the southern district of Mississippi, which comprises practi- cally all the boil weevil territory Of the state. and If the weevil Is spreading dew | sstation as some claim, 1t most assured | lv is not reflected in this office, where | it is reasonable to suppose 1t would. In fact. as far as I can learn. business. while | quiet. is getting reorganized on a better basis. The fact that the farmers are
 practicing the living at home doctrine, and are buying less, while it may be hard on some of the merchants where there are too many sellers for the buying population, is bound to result in very permanent and real prosperity"
 The call of Auditor Smith on the state banks of Mississippi for statements
 brought a prompt response from the four banks of Jackson that are not operating under the national banking laws and a summary of the statements of the four shows that they have capital and sur plus and undivided profits of s754, 121.17. The deposits are s1, ,9s4, ,475.Ss, loans and overdrafts s1, ,997, ,695. .33, which seems to in- d,cate that these banks have about all they can do in the way of business.
 The Jackson Board of Trade last night
 .lected MT. James B. Lusk of this city treasurer The selection Is good one, for first of all MT. Lusk Is diplomat who could .'the and 10 jarring sects mite" and next he Is an energetic, We'll informed man who has in the course of his occupation as traveling salesman Tn the west studied municipal building anc boosting where 1t has attained Its great est efflorescence. MT. Lusk has many new and progressive ideas he intends to nut in practice. The fact that he is a
 native of the city of Jackson and well
 iked by every one Is another asset the
 iew secretary possesses.
 At the meeting of the board of trade a resolution and active steps were taken
 to have the merchants of Jackson make
 all of next week Bargain Week" The
 aviation meet to take place at the state
 fair grounds promises to bring record
 breaking crowds to Jackson, and, there-
 fore, furnish a fine opportunity to the
 merchants to offer special inducements
 to out-of- town shoppers to make their
 holiday purcha ses. In addition to Messrs.
 Eugene Ely and J D. McCurdy, who
 will make the flights in Glenn H. Cur
 tiss aeroplanes, Augustus Post, the mil
 nonaire sportsman aviator of St. Louis, will also be on hand and give exhibitions.
 The meet will last for two days and
 exhibitions will be given from to
 D. m. Monday and Tuesday, the 18th and
 29th instant
 The having contractors are moving ma-
 chinery and making contracts for ma
 terial to begin the laying Of bituiithlc
 pavement on North State street, the St. Charles avenue of Jackson, and it Is be-
 lieved that actual work will begin on December F. This is one of the largest
 contracts awarded by the city council and comprises a distance of about F city blocks, and is the contract about
 which considerable protest was made by certain residents of the city because the price was $10,0O0 in excess of the lowest bid Threats of injunctions. mandamuses
 and what not were rife for a while, but it Is understood that the chief objectors
 have abandoned any idea of stopping the
 work, preferring to have the street paved even at what they consider price in excess of what was proper.
 President J. l.. Enochs and Secretary
 Mcdonald of the state fair are now busy
 
 getting the catalog for the next fair in shape for the printer enlarging the pre-
 mium lists and planning improvements and attractions. The subscription to ad- ditional stock will provide money for improving and bettering the fair. and pthat of 1911 will eclipse any yet held. II is understood that Mai R. w. Mill
 saps wifi issue gall for a meeting of the special committee of the board of trade. of 15 members, and of which he is chairman, Friday to consider ways and means of assisting the farmers ot this immediate section to find an outlet and market for other money crops than cotton. President G. R. Hightower of the farmers union is greatly interested in finding a solution and will very prob ably meet with the committee and ad- | dress it. As President Hightower is ar | intensely practical man, who has been | an unflagging student of just such prob | lems. his advice and cooperation vii | ,,a of great weight and assistance in ar.