The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-20
Farmers OPPOSE
RETURN OF SALOON
Resolution Adopted at Meeting
at Montgomery
MOBILE AFTER MEETING
Gulf City Wants Next ConventiOn-The
Legislature Asked to Appropriate
$4,000 Annually for Helping
Farm Work

solved that the State Farmers union urge
our legislature to pass no law that will
bring back into our state the licensed
saloon or dispensaries."
This resolution, introduced at the tail
end of the meeting of the state union,
which adjourned at l o'clock today, was
passed, so men on the inside say, by
unanimous vote, not a man speaking or
voting against it,
1t is also stated that the original reso-
luton made no mention of dispensaries,
dealing only with open saloons, and that
an enthusiastic member offered to amend
by taking in the dispensaries. which was
done with the approval of the body.
1t is regarded here that this is fine
play for the statewide forces, and that
the action of the farm IS a result
of a carefully laid plan inside the meet
ing to bring this up and rush it through
at the close of the meeting.
If it be true that 1t passed without op-
position, the word will be sent back
with much effect, 1t is argued, as there
are strong unions in every county in
the state save Lowndes. In the white
counties 1t is very strong.
Mobile Wants Meeting
George w. Jones, fraternal delegate
from Mobile, made an address, urging
that the next meeting be held in that CITY.
He was given cordial attention and it
Is thought that the executive committee,
which has this matter in hand, will be
glad to accept the invitation. Mr.. Jones
said he felt confident the union would
go to the gulf city.
In addition to demands that the legis-
lature provide for a system of good roads
by bond issues, and seven-months schools
in the country, 1t was urged that $4,000
be set aside annually for helping the
farm work and fighting the boil weevil,
divided as follows
Combating boil weevl and other in
furious insects, $1,000: combating black
root and boil rot $4,000; fertilizer expert
ments and introduction of forage crops,
$4,000; plant breeding, 5000; circulars,
bulletins and correspondence, 5000; ex
periments in horticulture, $4,000; live stock
demonstrations, $1,000: promotion OF the
poultry industry, $1,000; drainage demon
STATIONS, 5000. 1t is also urged that
there be ample to carry on institutes and
tick work and extension service in the
rural schools. .a
Trend Toward City
President C. s. Barrett of the National
Farmers union agrees that the trend Is
yet, after all the work that has been
done and all the talk, from the country
to the cities and towns, and he is backed
up, though he needs no backing, by the
early reports that come of the recent
census. He is not undertaking to ex-
| plain this other than to say that the
conveniences of the city and town are
attractive and there Is feeling of fra
ternity that has not been well established
| in the country. Il - F,8S
| That he and his followers are try
| ing to work out this problem in a prac-
teal way, the actions of the state con-
vention here go to show. Good schools
In the country. and good roads are the
proposed drawing cards and they are
asking that plans be made to the end
that these be provided. W. A. Morris,
state president, talking of this move
ment said that it was the intention of
the union to force by the sheer Justice
of the causes, seyen-months free schools
and good roads, these being, to his mind.
essential to any sort OF worth while coun-
try life.
In a great many sections there have
been seven months free schools for the
last two or three years. and In every
case where attention is given locally even
more is secured. However, there Is every
reason to believe that the next legis-
lature will find it an easy matter to
largely increase the common school fund.
with probably less necessity for attention
to the higher institutions. With a sub
stantial betterment of the direct fund
and local taxes 1t Is possible for Ala
bama to jump quickly in the scale OF
states doing well by every class of school
legislation.
Men who keep close watch over the
advancement of the country as a whole,
see in the movement of the agricultural
men to get together only good for the
business of the state Capable of pro-
ducing all kinds of products. the state
has lacked a definite and sensible plan
of marketing as a result of which prices
have not been adequate. Exchanges and
warehouses and general understandings
will eliminate much of this trouble and
make It possible for the best returns to
be secured, thus bringing In the maxi
mum of cash and keeping regularity
of the market that will make fluctuations
out Of the question.