The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-13


 Montgomery, September 12.-One | thousand mon from every cotton grow | ing state in America met today in
 Montgomery until black night dark ened the auditorium which contained
 no provision for light, conferred to- gether to devise ways and means to
 rebut the figures of the federal cot 1 ton report and to secure a better price I for cotton. Among these men were | mum bered congressman United States senators, state commissioners of aSri- culture or their representatives from every southern state, together with hundreds of farmers, bankers, business and professional men throughout the south. -
 While nothing further than organiza- l tion was effected officially at this meeting of the cotton growers has been proved their earnestness by the app ointment of four committees to be known as the committees on resolu- tions. marketing and financing the cot
 ton crop. national legislations and sta tistics, estimates and conditions or the cotton crop. These committees were appointed early in the day and made to consist of the commissioners Of agriculture of each state. three dele gates from each state and President C.. S. Barrett of the Farmers Educauohai and Co., operative union.
 One of the principal speakers of the day was Senator E. D. smith of South Carolina, who, in scathing terms, de- ad Wall street, Liverpool, New Orleans and foreign markets, and cried that the southern farmer must declare his financial independence of these peo- ple He said the farmer should de- mand fair profit on his cotton and ventured the assertion that If the New England farmer had such monopoly crop as the cotton crop he would de- mand and receive 30 cents pound
 for 1t.
 Senator smith also made an attack upon the accuracy of the government cotton report and said that the south ern farmer had lost enough money be- cause of it to establish an insurance department, or to insure proper figures. He declared, too that Attorney General Wickersham wanted to break so- called monopoly to boost the price or cotton, but crushed no illegal combina-
 tion to force the staple down.
 When Congress meets again in De-
 cember Senator Smith said, he is go- ing to introduce a bill to require the Secretary of Agriculture to show in his monthly cotton census, not only the amount of cotton in the field, but the
 gs,mber of bales in warehouses and who h, is these bales. Throughout his ,...s ,ch Senator Smith was heartily cheered and it was he who spoke until faces in the darkening auditorium | The convention was called together | at noon in the auditorium of the Ex- change hotel. Captain R. F. Kolb, com missioner of agriculture for Alabama, | was made temporary chairman. He presided until Commissioner of Agri- culture E. J. Wilson of South Caro- | lima was made permanent chairman. Rev. | C. A. Stakely of this city opened the convention with prayer. Addresses of welcome were made by Captain Kolb, l Lieutenant Governor Seed, R. B. Evins, representing Governor O'Neal; President l Gunter of the city commission and | President Kohn of the Montgomery Commercial club, in behalf of Alabama | and the city of Montgomery. These ad- | dresses were responded to by State Senator I. A. Bush of Georgia
 The convention will be brought to a | close Wednesday evening.