The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-22
Outcome of Criticism of ThompsOn's Cotton
 Plan
KOLB USES SOME
 PLAIN LANGUAGE
Denies Staten's Accusation That Barrett Indorses Plan-Executiye
 Committee of the Conference Adopts Rock Hill Plan

New Orleans, December 21.--Newspapers of the south which have criticised Col Robert M Thompson the New York cot ton speculator, and his plan for financing the surplus portion of the souths cotton crop were bitterly arraigned tonight by William H. Staten, the personal repre- sentative of Coolnel Thompson in formu- lating this plan, in talk before an in- formal gathering of representatives of the cotton farming industry in the assembly room of the Grunewald hotel
 Following Mr. Staten's arraignment of Colonel Thompsons critics and his de- fense of the proposed financing plan, a heated colloquy ensued between him and Capt. R. F. Kolb, commissioner of agri- culture of Alabama. Captain Kolb em- poyed very plain language in denouncing statements of MT. Staten and the meeting was abruptly adjourned.
 Captain Kolb announced that he had not only withdrawn his acceptance of a trusteeship A oposed organization to carry into effect Colonel Thompson's plan but had advised the cotton planters of Alabama and of the south against par ticipating in the plan.
 Plan Not Acceptable
 This plan will not be acceptable to the farmers of the south" declared Captain Kolb. "When l accepted the trusteeship I did not know the details of the plan, and since learning them and observing that the plan is calculated to do injury to the cotton planter, l have undertaken to advise the farmers of Alabama against it."
 Captain Kolb denied MT. Staten's asser- ton that the plan meets with the indorse- ment of Charles s. Barrett, president of the National Farmers union and added that he had MT. Barrett's statement of opposition to it in writing. N
 In his address MT. Staten declared that Colonel Thompson proposed his plan for financing portion of the cotton crop at the earnest solicitation of "southern gentlenen'' in Co, rfress, in business life ana among farmers snl the thanks he is getting for his unselfish efforts to aid the southern farmers are expressed in columns of abuse and islander in news papers of the south.
 "Southern newspapers have referred
 
 .trickster' and have intimated that he is attempting to hoodwink the cotton farmers with his plan. In the past l have returned to New York froms the south with words of praise of the southern hospitality, but this time I shall return with my head bowed in shame. Southern hospitality be hangedi'
 MT. staten remarked here that he was q ahnIt the criticisms which had been hurled at Colonel and desired it to be under stood that he was speaking for him. self only He added:
 Thompson's Statement
 "The message which Colonel Thomp- son would give to the people of the southland now is: Gentlemen, l made my fortune from speculating in your staple and feel that it is my duty to see that part of it goes back to you. 1 am anxious to help you. If the pro- posed plan for financing the surplus part of your crop is not satisfactory, am sorry. Come and tell me what is wrong with the plan and we will try and amend it to your liking
 "Colonel Thompson Is a friend of the south and he hates the New York Cot ton exchange more, perhaps, than do you people of the south. Wickersham Is a northern attorney general. His partner is attorney for the New York Cotton exchange and already they have tried to send Colonel Thompson to jail for helping the south in his bull cam paigns."
 MT. staten defended the plan in de- tail and declared if put into operation it would prove beneficial to the farm CTS and business interests of the south. He admitted that it was not a "holding movement that 1t provided Tor the absolute purchase of title to every bale of cotton turned over to the syndicate and that the right to sell the cotton to spinners at any time was reserved. He declared that it would require $125, ,000,- 900 to finance the surplus part of the crop and that no syndicate could un- dertake this if the plan contemplated what the southerner understands as holding movement.
 Colonel Thompson and his partners in the plan, he said, would risk the loss of more than SIG, ,000, 900 in the inaugur- ,ation of the plan, and this fact alone. he suggested should allay fears that tbe cotton secured by the syndicate wotlld be used to depress the market.
 Captain Kolb's principal objection to tl,e plan was to the sentence in the out line which reads, Ut is not our plan .to warehouse the cotton, nor to with hold it, from the channels of trade" He said this was just contrary to what the southern farmer is now trying to
 CONTINUED ON FACE 12)